Marcus Bonfanti – ‘Shake The Walls’
Shake The Walls is British rocker Marcus Bonfanti’s third full-length album. The record is an eclectic melting pot of all things bluesy, country, and rock, and judging from the terrific sound, it will hopefully help the hard-travelling guitar virtuoso and his band of wandering minstrels surpass the recognition they have already received, transcending the small gig circuit into the realms of rock and roll fame.
Opener ‘Alley Cat’ is the perfect way to kick off Bonfanti’s coming-of-age record, as the song effortlessly embodies the album’s very title. Rooted firmly in the band’s pre-1960 blues/rock influences from across the Atlantic, Bonfanti’s trademark, husky vocal and voracious appetite for string-melting riffs state the troubadour’s intentions for the ensuing tracks. We are treated to a real foot-stomper of a number that includes explosive bouts of Little Walter-esque harp wails and deft, sonorous slides on the electric guitar. Coupled with a catchy and typical blues-rock lyric, the tune bears a contemporary resemblance to the electric Chicago sounds kicked out by Muddy Waters and Co. at Chess Records many moons ago.
The second track, ‘Cheap Whisky’, like many others on Shake The Wall, reflects life as a young, travelling rock musician. Tales of hedonistic sojourns and late-night debauchery are not only rife lyrically but are reflected boldly in the instrumental sense, with equal doses of hell-raising guitar and thumping drum beats. Tunes like the Led Zeppelin/Black Sabbath hybrid ‘Stone Me Sober’ and the head-bopping, foot-shuffling effort ‘Bang of a Gun’ follow suit exquisitely, as Bonfanti never fails to impress with his ferociously skillful fretwork.
Yet, like every great rock and roll artist, Bonfanti isn’t afraid to lift the whiskey-drenched, nicotine-stained veil to reveal his soul’s deeper sentiments; in the country-infused acoustic musing ‘Blind Alley’ we are given access, all be it restricted, into deeper passages of the bluesman’s mind but it is in the beautifully expressive I know we all do bad sometimes that the barriers are lifted, as he sings “Whisper to me that I will be ok and I’m too young to die” and “All I wanted was to keep you safe from the things out to do you harm” offering almost the lyrical antithesis to rest of the tracks on Shake The Walls, but Bonfanti’s tender delivery of such throughout and, ironically, a furious guitar solo towards the end of the track give us a delightfully rare glimpse into the contemplative and impassioned complexities of a usually white-knuckled, raucous mindset. Think of Peter Green’s playing in ‘Out Of Reach’ or Elmore James’ exquisite portrayal of the human condition in ‘Something Inside Of Me’ to gauge the tone of this introspective creation.
Slight criticisms of the album have come regarding uninspired lyrics, but does that ever matter when you’re listening to legendary tracks like ‘Black Dog’ by Led Zeppelin, ‘Paranoid’ by Sabbath, or ‘I’m a Rocker’ by AC/DC? I personally don’t think it does in the slightest, so being of the same ilk, Bonfanti’s mercurial musicianship and sublime guitar playing should just be enjoyed for what they are—show-stopping.
If you’re in two minds as to whether to purchase Shake The Walls online then you must go and watch Marcus live, I assure you it’s even better.
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