The Dutch psychedelic rock trio known as Birth of Joy have been busy with a rather hectic touring schedule around Europe and other parts of the world over the last year, but they carved out a bit of time to head back into the studio and create this brand new album, Get Well. For just three guys, Kevin Stunnenberg (vocals, guitar), Bob Hogenelst (drums, vocals), and Gertjan Gutman (organ, bass) manage to create quite the racket and huge wall of sound, as Get Well contains 10 upbeat tracks of groove laden, trippy & bluesy hard rock that recalls the glorious hippy years of the late 1960s, with just a touch of stoner, punk, and prog rock for good measure.
Tunes like "Blisters", "Choose Sides", "Meet Me at the Bottom", "Midnight Cruise", and "Carabiner" have a wealth of groove, allowing for plenty of toe tapping and body shifting moments, yet also contain no shortage of meaty guitar riffs and smoldering organ. It's Gutman's organ that's actually the star of the show throughout much of Get Well, delivering some psych/prog touches to the atmospheric "Numb", a touch of Jon Lord to the Deep Purple inspired rockers "Those Who Are Awake" and "You Got me Howling", and a general ominous touch on The Doors/Vanilla Fudge/Iron Butterfly influenced title track.
Though I've never had the pleasure of seeing Birth of Joy live, I can easily close my eyes while listening to the barnburner "Hands Down" and imagine this trio totally tearing it up on stage with plenty of swagger, energy, and conviction. As a studio album, Get Well has a lot of drive and attitude, and is a must hear for anyone into the hard rock sounds of the '60s & '70s.
Track Listing
1) Blisters
2) Meet Me at the Bottom
3) Choose Sides
4) Numb
5) Midnight Cruise
6) Carabiner
7) Those Who Are Awake
8) You Got Me Howling
9) Get Well
10) Hands Down
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