Dive into the deep blues sea. The Bateleurs are the new wave of rock, the new generation. They bring a swing and purpose to their compositions that set them apart, no matter when you play it. With their first release back in 2018, they established a spark that is the origin of the fire today. We return to a blazing flame after 2022’s The Sun in the Tenth House. This is called A Light in the Darkness.
No wonder the opening song was released as a single. You don’t keep something that good away from the good people. The stepping blues riff with the distortion tone is driving, soulful yet hard enough to cut a diamond clean. Just as a stomp, you’re able to hear Sandrine Orsini bare it all with commanding, swinging vocals. She carries the weight of the song as the rhythm section slides in for full swing.
Pure power, preserved
The phasing, desert rock sound of Widow Queen comes as the second single in order. When the bass line leads, you know you’re in for a hard rock gem. This is the song you play when the ignition takes control, and you’re steering straight for the desert. I really like how The Bateleurs guitars don’t resort to lazy chord progressions when we’re in the verse section. There is real character to it, a swing and flow-matching the energy that they delivered when the chorus came about.
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Delivering straight firepower one after the other, For All To See comes in next. This reminded me of the classic 80s rock movement. The bluesy essence is never lost in any part, bringing muscle and structure to all of the tracks. Ricardo Dikk, Ricardo Galrão & Rui Reis bring the punch with the rhythm section. Now let’s talk about the spirit of the band.
Heading the spirit of rock
After seeing the number of friends and collaborators listed for this album, it’s clear that this is what live music is about. It is coming together with the singular purpose of believing music is this defining, powerful force in their lives. Nuno Louro, João Colaço, Ruben Monteiro are some of the musicians listed as defining factors in many of the songs. Yet, The Bateleurs have cemented a sound and legacy in their compositions and performance that makes them a crowning, anthemic sound.
The power quadruple from Lisbon, Portugal create quite the epicentre for the kind of earthquakes they choose to design. Dancing On A String has the kind of groovy, funky yet heavy riff that will embed itself in your memory. There is no doubt that they have climbed to become a unique, charismatic band that have delivered something unforgettable.
I would also like to tip my hat to Discos Macarras, for producing a sound for the band that reflects their sound, while bringing out what have to be their defining traits. There are tracks like The Lighthouse that I want to keep as secrets for you to obsess over, a number that crosses the 7-minute mark to give you eargasmic full stops. A treat you should return to several times in your lifetime, here is your hope in darkness:
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Self professed metalhead, moderately well read. If the music has soul, it's whole to me. The fact that my bio could have ended on a rhyme and doesn't should tell you a lot about my personality.
