Review | Elvis Batchild – Batchild Begins

Label: Self-released

Elvis Batchild is a group made of five strangers that met on Craigslist coming together through a mutual love of 70’s rock. Together they’re aiming to mold this perspective sound into something digestible for a modern audience. Yet, it still pays homage to greats and is accessible to all rock fans.

The opener ‘Can’t Go Out (Can’t Stay Home)’ starts gently enough with a chorus-drenched finger-picked guitar lick underpinning vocalist Rein Laik’s smooth-sounding vocals. A drum roll soon rallies the band to let loose and the heavy blues-rock swagger is unleashed for a brief moment almost as a tease of what to come. The chorus becomes instantly singable and by the end of the song, Elvis Batchild has a crowd repeating that hook which helps to ram that vocal melody deep into your head.

It becomes clear quite early that each member of Elvis Batchild is very proficient in what they do and even though they might not have been a band for years, they gel perfectly with each other. There’s a touch of Led Zeppelin in Elvis Batchild’s sound with its bluesy guitar and riffs that follow the vocals almost as a duet.

‘Bad Dream’ almost sounds like ‘One Hot Minute’ era Red Hot Chili Peppers with its chorus providing a walking bass line and floating solo-like guitar line. With the guitarists choosing simple picking rather than stomping, growling riffs, ‘Bad Dream’ has that open airy feeling and makes a subtle difference to the opening song but also showcases their talents in songwriting.

‘Uninvited’ sees a more straightforward rock song albeit with a touch of that bluesy shuffle to the verse. It sees singer Rein Laik seemingly verbally scorching people that go out looking for a fight, something we can all relate to.

Overall, Elvis Batchild’s sound is something you could either hear at a dive bar or a dimly lit wine bar with the scuzzy guitar tones and solos rubbing shoulders with a swing that comes across as nice and clean. As a first EP, Elvis Batchild is definitely showing their chops and it will be interesting to see where they take this sound over time.