Album Review: Electric Universe

Tauranga based band Electric Universe says 2019 is a year of completion for them, with their self-titled album being one of a few projects being completed during the course of the year.

The band’s name should give a little away; the first four songs, from City Boy through to Acid Train, all having influence from Hendrix to Santana but with the subtlety and restraint of Hendrix, and not the album length solos of prog rock. This LP could have been recorded by Human Instinct.

The musicianship on the album is top notch.

Track 5 Moments is a slight shift to a later 60’s early 70’s US gospel sound, with the band showing its softer side. There’s a moment where the singer’s slight US accent really works, as he manages to rhyme ‘..all alone in my car’, with ‘….wondering if I’ll ever see her again’ [with again being pronounced agaiyun]

Broken Man is the main ballad on the LP and has excellent 60’s Hammond b3 style organ work, and a killer lead guitar break that soars.

In their press release Electric Universe say 2019 is an ‘era of completion for their 7 members’. The band says they’re looking forward to gigging more and have added members to their live show.

The original core members of Shane Davies, Michael Furness, Patrick Hawkins and Jeff Nilson were joined in 2018 by guitarist Baz Mantis and two backing vocalists, Jana Rose and Marilyn Collins-Smith, bringing even more fullness to both their sound and stage show.

Electric Universe was recorded at Soundtree Studios in Tauranga, mixed by Shane Davies and mastered by Gavin Northcroft.