Nothing tells you that an artist is on the up more than them suddenly writing a song about having to pay tax.
I’m not saying that Florence Black have changed tax brackets and are looking at Bon Jovi-like ticket sales, which is not to say they won’t – Bed Of Nails is saturated with great songs that could easily make any arena rock – but they have written a tune called Taxman, which puts them up there with Beatles, sort of.
That musical tirade aside, and the band’s second album is very good indeed. Think Alter Bridge with a grudge; dense, layered, pulsing with melody, but quite likely to crack you in the face if you say the wrong thing.
And that edge, with their bright melodies – the country ring of Back To The End, the building roar that is Warning Sign, the rattling The Way Home – makes for a remarkable record. Let’s hope they keep their receipts.
Physical copies of Bed Of Nails are available from the band's webstore.
