Reef
Glow

THE REVIEW

Glastonbury. Land of esoteric alignments and legends. But also a land that breathes music. The festival that takes place in this city since the early 70s is among the most famous in England. Now I'm digressing. Actually, in this specific case, Glastonbury is just the city that gave birth to the band I am about to review.

Reef are four guys who play rock, the raw, street kind. That guitar-driven rock’n’roll deeply rooted in the most restless blues. One might guess it by the phonetic similarity to the genre’s keyword: “riff”. Or because the moniker can be seen as an anagram of the word “free”, a nod to another seminal rock group. But these are simple conjectures, while the band's music leaves nothing to chance.
Sharp guitars, explosive rhythms, and few frills. A dash of organ here and there, some piano interventions, and there you have the recipe. Grandma's recipe, the simplest, but also the most genuine. There is nothing new in Reef's music, the references are clear: Rolling Stones and Faces above all. Starting with the voice of the singer Gary Stringer, which turns out to be a successful cross between Mick Jagger and Rod Stewart. A rough, scratchy voice, soul and passion in every tone.
They owe their success to ex-Style Council Paul Weller, who discovered them and decided to take them on tour. “Glow” was released in 1997 and is the group's second album, after the good debut “Replenish” which had already placed some singles in the British charts.

“Place your hands” is instead the lead hit of this album, with a rhythm section that pumps rhythm and power and an inspired riff reminiscent of Keith Richards at his best. The song enters the UK top ten, and shortly thereafter the album even reaches the top.
“Glow” is a concentrate of fresh energy, a real assault on the tendons, with the solid guitars of “I would have left you” or the funky wah-wah of “Lately stomping”.
But there are also softer moments, with the soulful touches of the splendid ballad “Consideration” or the bucolic “Lullaby”.

The magazine “Kerrang” recently placed this album at 26th place in the ranking of “100 albums to hear before you die”. An exaggeration, certainly. And personally, it’s not an album I can listen to at any moment. But when I need to release the adrenaline in my body, or simply for a burst of vitality, there's nothing better. Or almost.