Indie Music Album Reviews - Insight & Critique

Chase Encounter - On The Road Again

2/20/2015

Chase Encounter

On The Road Again
self-released; 2015

3.8 out of 5

By Jamie Robash

Chase Encounter is a southern rock blues band that hails from the UK. The band itself is a group comprised of professional musicians who have worked with one another over the years and that is very evident from how tight they sound musically as a band. Chase Encounters is headed up by the duo of Trevor Duffin and Neil Sadler. It is these two men who are responsible for the lyrics, vocals and song arrangements on their latest album On the Road Again.

On the Road Again has hints of irony behind its creation. It was recorded, mixed and mastered at No Machine Studios in Wokingham, Berkshire, UK. The first of the ironies is No Machine Studios, its name hinting at an earlier way of doing things, an album made by hand, which the southern rock blues sounds of On the Road Again sound like they were forged by the hands of a workingman, which closely parallels the spelling of Wokingham where the album was recorded.

The album is a mix of telltale songs about hard luck and they have a sense of empathy about them; you believe the tales that are being recounted to you as you listen, such as on “Black Sheep” and the Joe Cocker inspired “Getting Better.”

Though many of these songs also find time to rock, mainly with long and squealing guitar solos, which occur on just about every track, but that shine most brightly on tracks like the upbeat electric organ rocker “Crossfire.” Then there’s the epic “Gambler,” which has a bit of that old Dire Straits feeling and is the best song on the album. Here the guitar solo waits until nearly the end and wails alongside the piano based melody. “Gambler” really helps to show off not only what Chase Encounter is capable of as a band, but what music is capable of no matter how long the genre has been around for.

On the Road Again also contains two covers, Bob Seger’s “Turn the Page,” from which the album takes its title. The Chase Encounter version is at the same speed but more of a mellow blues feel. As far as covers go it’s really not a song one should mess with in my opinion and my thinking is Chase Encounter should have gone with a deeper cut. The second cover is “The Highwayman” by Jimmy Webb. Again another one that perhaps should not have been put on the album. Cover songs, even with their own spin on them really should be saved for the stage and the original recordings left for the album.

Despite a few songs that sound like they could be repeats of one another and the cover versions that should have stayed off the album On the Road Again by Chase Encounter is an album worth checking out. Their original songs are fresh and give new life to an aged genre.

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25 Comments

Dan MacDonald

2/20/2015 08:05:44 pm

Ouch! What a crap review. Do you know anything about the business or music in general? I can list a hundred bands that have not only covered songs on their albums but made videos and used them to launch their careers. Disturbed, Five Finger Death Punch, Bare Naked Ladies just to name a few. I am a radio show host and we get tons of requests for Chase Encounter. The listeners like the familiarity to the music. The band isn't trying to reinvent the wheel they're playing real rock and roll. When a band fills their album with midi tracks and over dubs they can't reproduce live it doesn't take long for them to get called out as another fake "studio band". Nobody has time for that nor do they have time for wannabe reviewers. I seriously hope you're not getting paid to write this garbage. Stick to your day job and leave the music business to those with talent, insight or at least something to say. :P Dan/Antisocial Network

2/20/2015 08:27:44 pm

I expect to see my earlier comment published if you are objective journalists you will accept criticism as readily as you dish it out.

Jeremy

2/21/2015 03:58:16 am

Wow, really Dan? I don't think his review was bad at all. And uh, last time I looked or read, reviews of any kind, (food, music, clothes) are OPINIONS and NOT objective news, like say a car crash, or a house fire?

huh, somebody needs a lesson in Journalism 101.

Andy Green

2/21/2015 04:43:36 am

Interesting. Really like this band and have bought the album. I don't understand the comment about the long squealing guitar solos as they are neither long or squealing. That aside, the songs vary quite a lot and I found it a very enjoyable listen. Especially like the contrast of their acoustic version of "The Highwayman". I have never heard it done with that much emotion and it brings out the meaning in the lyrics. Well done guys. Looking forward to the next release.

Graham Brown

2/21/2015 05:42:55 am

Not sure I am in agreement with the review. Chase Encounter are definitely tight, but not really a Southern Rock band. The guitar work is excellent and the tracks have an over all rock/blues feel with added smoothness on some tracks. Metallica tried doing a cover of Turn The Page, but in my opinion did not pull it off as well as these guys. They've given it a real feel of what being on the road is like. Will buy this album for the car.. It's a great one to listen to while driving distances.

Dean

2/23/2015 11:15:18 am

Oh Dan. Anyone who would cite a band like Bare Naked Ladies in an argument is not worth arguing with. But you did put a big smile on my face with that one champ! You are a music aficionado.

Graham: https://chase-encounter.bandcamp.com/ follow this link. Third to last line bottom left. Band describes themselves as southern rock blues. Cheers!

Graham

2/23/2015 05:35:57 pm

Thanks for pointing that out Dean. I can't really hear it on this album but maybe they are more southern with other material or live. Must check them out when they're my area. The more I listen to this album, the more I like it.

2/23/2015 11:15:38 am

Frank

2/21/2015 05:47:28 am

Dan Macdonald seems like a cynical dick wad. That is all

Dan

2/21/2015 06:12:45 am

Thanks Frank. That's the nicest thing anyone has said to me in a long time.. For the record.. I am a cynical dick wad. You should hear what my friends call me. BTW were you trying to make a point. I must have missed that part. LOL

2/22/2015 03:38:01 am

How anyone thought it would be a good idea to cover "Turn The Page" is beyond me. The song has been overplayed and covered so many times by much better artists then these guys. I actually live in Alabama and guess what this is what a lot of bands sound like only better. The band should stick their tea and crumpets I'm not going to go into detail about why your comments are flat out retarded.

Trev

2/21/2015 06:50:24 pm

In response to the reviewers comments about having cover songs on the album. They are there for one simple reason... They were requested by fans that have heard them done live.
Fans are the most important people and what they want we try to give them.

Daniel Rhoad link

2/22/2015 01:51:39 am

Wow...I don't think I have never read, or heard a review as wrong and as backwards as this one. I love it when bands do great covers. And I wish more mainstream shit sounded even close to being this good. No wonder good music is hard to find. It is the bullshit music industries and puzzling reviews like this one. Oh well...they didn't like the Beatles either. Rock On Chase Encounter ♫♥♫

Ted

2/22/2015 03:06:49 am

I've been following this site for a year and mr. Robashs reviews are almost always on point no exception here.Go get your fucking ears checked Daniel and Dan. Retards like you two can fuck off

Bob Mccormick

2/22/2015 03:11:10 am

The reviewer was being kind. These guys suck ass. No originality and bring absolutely nothing new to the genre.

joe smith

2/26/2015 07:47:06 am

This review sucks ass !!

Chase Encounter

2/22/2015 06:35:46 am

To be honest we are not bothered one way or the other about what reviewers and other people say about the band or the album. The only reason we are on here is because one of the reviewers contacted us and suggested it. Too many people take things like this far too seriously. We've been in the business far too long for that, maybe not as a band but individually. We're not trying to change the world or be something other than what we are. We do what we enjoy and we make a living doing it. We respond to what our fans want and this album is what they asked for... and they're buying it.
If you don't like what we do.. fine. A lot of other people do.

Slippy

2/22/2015 09:04:24 am

Comments seem to be very polarized. I have been listening Skynard since the early 70's and have found music like My Morning Jacket. I took a listen to this group and think it's pretty good. It most certainly has traces of some of those bands and that was appealing to me.

2/23/2015 12:28:49 am

Wow Frank... what a lovely idea. tea and crumpets with the Queen !!
Unfortunately we're far too busy playing our "suck ass" music to people that appreciate it. Don't quite understand what you living in Alabama has to do with anything, there are good bands all over the world. Maybe you've not traveled as much as us.

Morbid North

2/23/2015 05:20:07 am

mmm Tea and Crumpets.. Now I've got the munchies.. I personally like Chase Encounter. Much better music to listen to than a lot of the indie bands out there today. Too many Nickelbacks already. Keep doing what you do guys. All of these haters are just going to help make you famous..I think they've all been played like suckers and they just had to put their two cents in.. Brilliant Strategy.. Any publicity is good publicity..

Joe Smith

2/23/2015 07:48:42 pm

I was just listening to On The Road Again and I think it's a fucking great album !!!! Songs like Black Sheep & Company Man are really cool......That's my review of the album !!!

Sally

2/24/2015 06:07:59 pm

I'm surprised by many of the comments here. I like this album. It captures some of the ability and emotion these guys can deliver, but I know Chase Encounter are capable of so much more, especially live. Perhaps that will become more evident on the next release.

Simon C

2/25/2015 05:24:23 pm

"with long and squealing guitar solos" is not something I would have said about this album. The squealing technique, or "pinched harmonic" is not used anywhere. perhaps the reviewer was mistakenly referring to the rather excellent use of a bottleneck. Overall I think this album is well recorded and played. This could be a band to watch out for and I am keen to hear what else they can offer.

Stephanie Turrer

2/27/2015 02:59:02 am

A great album!! They obviously enjoy what they do and it comes through in their music. They are also a band that genuinely cares about their fans which, in this day and age, is getting harder and harder to find. Nothing wrong with having good covers on an album either. I actually enjoy it. Awesome album Chase Encounter! Well done!!

Sam

2/27/2015 07:07:52 pm

Don't know what all the fuss is about. The album is good. The review is OK, even if some of it doesn't make sense. Another one to add to my collection.

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Chase Encounter - On The Road Again

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