Jeff Beck
Loud Hailer
(Rhino)

Singer/writer Rosie Bones and writer/guitarist Carmen Vandenberg are a breath of fresh air blowing through the songs of Jeff Beck’s latest, Loud Hailer. The ladies front the band BONES and seen by Beck at one of their gigs, the guitar legend enlisted the women to co-write/play and presently tour with him. As Rosie says, the songwriting was something she and Carmen just got to, though she jokes that she left out her usual “snogging boys or…going out in clubs” ideas in the lyrics here.

“The Revolution Will Be Televised” begins, a strutting opener of wry lyrics more spoken than sung by Bones, while “Live in the Dark” follows, an old blues-like commercial tune showcasing Bones’ singing with Beck pretty much following her vocal melody with his guitar over an infectious hand-clap drum beat. A kind of “All the Young Dudes” verse/chorus progression informs the slow “Scared For the Children.” Though Bones sounds about as sweet as ever here, it’s mostly Jeff Beck’s bending moments that make the ballad. “The Ballad of the Jersey Wives” is a strutting, wild tune with big horn-like strings and Beck bending single notes in a way that is completely his. The funky “O.I.L. (Can’t Get Enough of That Sticky)” is slip-and-sliding pure funk with naughty “yeah, yeah, yeahs’” and Beck and Vandenberg (who says she simply “listens and learns” when it comes to playing with Beck) trading flicking rhythm and tight riffing. “Shrine,” a ballad, ends with Beck noodling, Vandenberg strumming so tastily, and sweet vocals coming from Rosie. The women from Bones, plus David Sollazzi on drums and Giovanni Pallotti on bass, push Jeff Beck to amazing heights and quite commercial song-smithing on Loud Hailer.