Our Time to Ride  Chambers DesLauriers  Forty Below Records

Our Time to Ride is the new album by Chambers DesLauriers. It’s also the name of the next-to-last song on the album. It’s a statement of purpose for the album. It swings and the guitars chug along like they mean business. The layers of the guitars pile up with increasing power and intent. Like a freight train. It certainly is an apt metaphor for what this group is doing right now.

Chambers DesLauriers is comprised of gospel soul blues singer Annika Chambers and blues/rock guitar hero Paul Deslauriers. Between the two of them they have a pile of well-deserved awards. They are assisted by their touring rhythm section, Gary Davenport on bass and Sly Coulombe on drums. Keyboard duties were handled by Sasha Smith and Jesse O’Brien, horns by Mark Pender and David Ralicke, and background vocals by Corne and Nicoya Polar. Together, this band cooks up a powerful sound.

The lead single and first song on the album is Love You Just the Same. This is an anthem of loyalty and love. The message: when things get dark and the going gets tough, I love you just the same. Anybody who is, or ever has been, in a serious relationship can relate to the feelings expressed here. The lyrics speak of the kind of commitment it takes to persevere in a partnership.

The next song is People Gonna Talk. The opening sounds like a well-crafted modification of Keith Richards’ guitar method, including the tasteful use of cowbell. When the song gets rolling, the message becomes clear. People are going to talk, no matter what you do. Let them talk and just get on with it. The production is hot, with the band locked in. The horn and organ parts uplift the proceedings, and Paul gets to rock out superbly on his guitar.

The record carries on in this vein. Annika carries the vocals; Paul adds infectious guitar parts and provides thrilling solos. The songs are sincere and committed to messages of love.

Temperature of One-O-Nine changes things a bit by bringing the funk. It’s got a killer arrangement and the band smokes on it. Paul’s guitar solo is a masterclass in raunch and how to use a wah pedal like a master.

Wrapping up the album are the previously mentioned Our Time to Ride, and the closer One in A Million, where both parties in the relationship sing about their partner in the most glowing of terms. Paul gets to sing on this one, and the effect is perfect. They should share vocals more often. Paul’s guitar playing frames the song perfectly.

For a glimpse into their musical partnership, there is a clip on the Vintage Guitar site, where they sit in a room, just the two of them, and perform the title song of their previous album Good Trouble. It’s amazing to see the two of them recreate their whole sound in this simple setting. No drums, no organ, no backup singers, just a great guitar and vintage amps and a microphone, and they pull off their whole style. If it was an audition, any label in the world would sign them.

– Review by John Mulligan

(from John’s Substack, A Series of Notes)