Do you remember a time when music fans adorned their bedroom walls with posters of their heroes? Larger-than-life rock stars who seemed untouchable to a wide-eyed teen? Gyasi does. The West Virginia born and raised singer channelled those very same idols: Bowie, Bolan and Zep to the max on his debut album ‘Pronounced Jah-See’ back in 2022, unapologetically wearing his influences on his satin sleeves for all to see. We here at RPM fell for him, hook, line and sinker.

Now he follows up last year’s killer live opus ‘Rock n’ Roll Sword Fight’ with his sophomore studio album ‘Here Comes The Good Part. So, let’s dip right in and see if Gyasi hits the spot second time around.

Opener ‘Sweet Thing’ sets the scene with a Ziggy stomp and a laid back, bluesy Black Keys like groove. The instant hook of a chorus makes a b-line for your brain and Gyasi is well and truly back in business with a sure-fire anthem of self-expression.

The thing I dig about Gyasi is his ability to mix up the sound of his influences to great effect. 70’s glam rock is the order of the day, add to that a smattering of west coast 60’s psychedelia and a shot of Brit Pop for good measure, and we’ve got a good thing going. This is evident on the swaggering ‘Lightening’ and the more bluesy, high-energy stomp of ‘She Says’.

‘Snake City’ has cool dynamics and a stomper of a chorus, ‘Cheap High’ is high octane rock n’ roll done just right. A sleazy, low-slung Aerosmith riff and a cocksure demeanor makes it an early album standout. As is previous single ‘Baby Blue, a shameless T Rex stomp with a chorus to die for. Yes, you know exactly where he’s pilfered it from as much as I do, but fuck me, what a tune!

Some might say there’s blatant Bowie plagiarism going on here. Yes, that arpeggiated riff to ‘Sweet Thing’ certainly carries a passing resemblance to ‘Ziggy Stardust’, ‘American Dream’ with its regimental snare beat, acoustic guitar and sexy sax has a ‘Lady Stardust’ feel to it and stunning CD only bonus cut ‘Apple Tree’ is Gyasi’s ‘Oh! You Pretty Things’. But surely, he’s just embracing his influences, and it never hurt Noel Gallagher, right?

The piano led ‘23’ sees our sequin-suited hero banging to the beat of a different drum. With its laid-back, sexy sax accompaniment and dreamy vibes, its veering towards 80’s new age pop in a good way, hints of Roxy Music come to find here. And then album closer ‘Grand Finale’ comes on like some glam rock musical reprise. Picked acoustic chords, soaring strings and a self-assured vocal performance build with cleverly produced drums to give that authentic 70’s analogue feel.

With just the right amount of sleazy riffs & power chords, a good dose of lipstick & glitter and enough dirt under the fingernails, ‘Here Comes The Good Part’ straddles Bowie in his Hunky Dory/Ziggy Stardust years, it embraces Marc Bolan between ‘Electric Warrior’ and ‘The Slider’ and brings us right up to date for the kids by digging the sounds of Jack White and The Black Keys. It would all be so laughable and throwaway if the songs weren’t up to scratch, but guess what? The songs are good, they are very good.

I’ll tell you one thing for sure, if I was a wide-eyed teen discovering rock n’ roll right now, I’d proudly have Gyasi’s poster on my bedroom wall and this sophomore-long player would be blasting from the speakers day and night.

An eagerly anticipated album from a rising star, and an essential purchase for 2025. Get it on, pre-ordered and demand a UK tour quick sharpish.

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Author: Ben Hughes