In a world that seems to be constantly searching for the next big, shiny and exciting thing, Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell are sticking proudly with balls-out rock’n’roll. Formed in 2008, this scabby-knuckled, booze-sodden trio have never been remotely inclined to follow trends or conform to the cool kids’ idea of what rock should be. Instead, across a series of albums that have been widely acclaimed and almost entirely separate from the rough ‘n’ tumble of contemporary heaviness, they have conquered hearts and minds with ease.
For those who subscribe to the notion that The Riff is king, Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell are certified guardians of the good stuff. From the raw, raucous abandon of 2012 debut album Don‘t Hear It… Fear It! to the ragged and celebratory clatter of 2019’s Very Uncertain Times, these dogged distributors of underground riff worship have conjured some of the most thrillingly grubby sounds of modern times.
Seven years on from their last LP, Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell are once again emerging from the smoke-filled shadows with a fresh selection of unreconstructed, dirt rock anthems. The recorded debut of new drummer Glen Stebbings, The Trouble With The Shovell is a rip-roaring return to action that hammers home this band’s ageless charm, with nine new songs carved straight from the freak rock coalface. The product of the last few years of clandestine exploration, the album heralds the beginning of a new era for our heroes.