Britain’s Stereophonics have been around a lot longer than you might have realized, as they were working on a 25th anniversary compilation when frontman Kelly Jones found some old recordings, which inspired a whole new album, Oochya!. Like many a band in their later ages these days, it runs long (fifteen tracks, over an hour total), but has some great blues-rock and even ballads.
Stereophonics’ last album, 2019’s Kind (QRO review), saw them get in touch with their blues soul, and that continues with Oochya!. That produces great up-tempo blues-rock pieces such as the opener “Hanging On Your Hinges” and later “Made a Mess of Me”. But there are also the Stereophonics alt-ballads that they’ve become known for, like the sweet “Forever” or the growing hope of “All I Have Is You”.
There is also the life story in “Right Place Right Time”, which does come off a little self-indulgent by Jones, but if you’ve been at it this long, you’re going to get a little self-indulgent at times. So, just be glad that the Stereophonics are still around, and still enjoying doing what they do.
