Billy Vincent - 'Stand On Me'

An accomplished record comprising of twelve sincere songs courtesy of Billy Vincent.

Hailing from South London but certainly taking a detour through America is Billy Vincent, a band with a new record out entitled 'Stand On Me'. The band is named, I presume, as an amalgam of co-writers and singers Billy Barratt and David Vincent and they are certainly a convincing outfit.

If you like Bruce Springsteen's early albums, such as 'Greetings From Asbury Park', you will certainly like this; theirs is a soul-wrenching and heartfelt offering of songs sung with conviction. As the press release says "...its Americana dragged through South London" so expect Bluesy songs with a bit of home-grown input.

As for the songs, 'Sleep When You Are Dead' stands out with an echo-ridden guitar riff and a fantastic vocal performance with a Rod Stewart timbre thrown in. There are Pop songs such as opener 'Across My Street' with a jingly guitar riff and commercial chorus, the upbeat 'Loveless Man' and the retro and simplistic 'Hell For Leather'.



The piano-based ballad 'Waifs And Strays' works well and the lyrics, drum beat and vocal performance are very much a nod to The Boss. Contrasting the angst there are some happier songs beautifully exemplified by 'You, Me, The World' and the epic closer 'Sheriff Cook'.

An accomplished record comprising of twelve sincere songs courtesy of Billy Vincent.

Rob McKenzie