Tek is best known for his stint as Radio Birdman guitarist and songwriter but he’s been a prolific solo artist over the last few years with an excellent output of fantastic Garage Rock n Roll which is exactly what you get with ‘Long Before Day’. The 2020 co-release with James Williamson was a masterclass in how to play Rock n Roll.

Thirteen tracks of honest good time Rock n Roll with guitars at the forefront and opener ‘Taking One For The Team’ has a cool slide ahead of the overdriven six-string – with a strong melody it reminds me of a garage rock version of Neil Young and Crazy Horse when they turn the amps up and jam. It’s an album that’s got a loose vibe.

The album meanders through the rivers of rock n roll stopping off at various tributaries offering different takes on the subject, from countrified rock that tells a story like ‘Ballad Of Chief Joseph’ the band kicks back on the moody ‘Speak Of Ice’ that has a sleepy quality as it creeps around the blues tempo and structure. If you’re willing to invest in the songs then sit back and float downstream and let the Teks take you on a fantastic journey. The quality of the songs is the key to this record with ‘Home’ just a few notches up in tempo from the previous tune with the acoustic guitar adding an earthy layer.

The title track is a mellow acoustic introduction that rolls through the speakers. ‘Truck n Roll’ shifts a few gears and blows off a few cobwebs and you get the impression that there are no egos at play here just a guy who loves his music and wherever the breeze takes him, it’s all about the music.

If I was looking to offer up a favourite track it might well be ‘Close To You’ another chilled song that would have fitted in spectacularly well on a playlist that included Chuck Prophet, Neil Young, and maybe some acoustic Johnny Thunders around the ‘Hurt Me’ recordings.

IF you want the louder end of the spectrum then look no further than the uptempo ‘Rear View Mirror’ but there’s magic sprinkled all over this album from the soulful ‘You Cry’ or ‘Mother Earth’ or the album closer sees the reflective Tek contemplate ‘Where’. A hugely impressive album that probably won’t get the respect and attention it thoroughly deserves except for places like RPM Online because we just know.

An absolute winner of an album for many reasons – the playing is from the heart and has a boundless soul. Tek isn’t afraid to venture into territories that people possibly won’t expect and doesn’t just rip it up with a garage Rock wham bang thank you man it’s so much better than that. It’s a no-brainer and it might just be the most well-rounded offering from all of Teks solo records. Buy it!

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Author: Dom Daley