Malone Sibun – the blues rock super group is being hailed as one the most exciting acts to appear on the UK scene right now. Nominated earlier this year by the European Blues Awards in the Best Band category, despite not yet having an album released, Malone Sibun are ready to impress.
The UK based Detroit soulful blues-rock star Marcus Malone joins forces with the British blues rock guitarist Innes Sibun for a handful of warm-up dates in November for a new band featuring familiar faces.
“This world was made for all men so why you wanna tear me apart”
“To say we are moving in the same direction musically is an understatement, adds Marcus Malone. Not only does Innes have shades of my favourite guitar players, Jimmy Page, Hendrix and Paul Kossoff, but he also has the soulful approach and the dynamics of B.B. King and Albert King. Put all those influences together and you get the unique style of Innes Sibun.”
From the contrasting a cappella vocals and fiery power chords of the opening conceptual title track, to the honey dripping soul of the bookended Everyday’s A Miracle, Come Together successfully chases the holy grail of making rock and blues accessible to a wider audience.
Marcus Malone’s vocals explore every twist and emotional turn of the lyrics, while guitarist Innes Sibun adds passionate solo and contributes the magnificent blues of the song, I Want You Back.
Beautifully presented in an evocative psychedelic sleeve. Come Together is a career best for the two rock-blues heavyweights.
TRACK LIST
01. Come Together – Malone/Sibun (4:28)
02. Let Me Love You – Malone (4:37)
03. I Want You Back – Sibun (4:59)
04. Taste of Your Love- Malone (4:44)
05. Jodie – Sibun (4:09)
06. So Tired of Living – Sibun (6:30)
07. Love Light – Sibun (4:13)
08. She’s My Girl – Malone (4:22)
09. Rabbit Hole – Malone (4:27)
10. Everyday’s A Miracle – Malone/Sibun (4:46) MUSICIANS
Innes Sibun – Lead, Slide, Acoustic and Rhythm Guitar, Mandolin
Marcus Malone – Vocals, Backing Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Chris Nugent – Drums
Roger Inniss – Bass Guitar
Stevie Watts – Keyboards (except track 10)
Moz Gamble – Keyboards (Track 10)
Chantelle Duncan – Backing Vocals.
Massimiliano Guidi – Acoustic Guitar (Track 4)
TRACK BY TRACK
1. We Can Come Together
When I first heard the power chord sequence Innes sent me, I immediately thought Come Together. Sometimes when you’re lucky, divine inspiration takes over, and a song just happens. I wasn’t planning on writing a political or ‘save the planet’ message-laced song. The lyrics are clearly about the human condition, the way we treat one another and the way we are treating the planet. “Mother Nature is crying you know you’re breaking my heart. We are all brothers and sisters of soul…” – to be continued in song No. 10 – Everyday’s A Miracle.
2. Let Me Love You
This song is not so much a song about love as it is lust. Was it that one-night stand in Detroit or Chicago? I like the way the heavy riff of the chorus gives way to the more melodic bluesy verse and powers back up again like a race car out of the blocks into the chorus again. It’s a bit of a crossover between David Grohl and Paul Rogers, two of my favourite artists. If you love strong guitar riff-based rock with these influences, I think this will be one of your favourite tracks.
3. I Want You Back
This song is one for those people who always see the grass being greener on the other side. You don’t realise what a good thing you have until you lose it. I guess we’ve all been in that situation. Musically, I was coming from a Curtis Mayfield direction, but it seems to have taken on a life of its own. Look out for the surprise ending.
4. Taste of Your Love
This is a song written about the joy and the anxiety one feels when away from the love of his or her life. “Nothing sweeter than… nothing stronger than…” The first two acoustic verses produced with inter twin mandolin and slide guitars expresses the tenderness and joy and depth of one’s love for that special someone. The song builds into a very heavy guitar-based bridge and solo section with double edge mixed with distorted vocals. It expresses the anxiety and need to get back home. It ends with a full choir of voices reiterating the melodic chorus… “Nothing sweeter than… nothing stronger than your love.” It’s a tip of the hat to my prog rock influences; Led Zeppelin.
5. Jodie
Jodie is probably the nearest we will get to a country rock song. When I originally wrote it, I had a Rolling Stones vibe going through my head. The song is a message of encouragement to anyone who is feeling bad about themselves and needs a friend. I don’t know why I came up with the name Jodie because it could be a boy or a girl. It’s an equal opportunity song for everyone.
6. I’m So Tired Of Living
Every blues album has a slow minor blues song, and this is ours. The lyrics reflect the age-old subject of loneliness and needing to be loved. I love the image of living like a ship out on the sea. There is nothing as lonely than a little ship on its own battling against the huge ocean which is what I hope the lyrics convey. Musically I guess it’s influenced by some of my heroes like Bobby Blue Bland, Bobby Womack and Otis Clay.
7. Lovelight
This started out as a basic one chord boogie but developed into fully developed precocious monster with a key change and harmony guitar. I wrote this in Mostar, Bosnia several years ago when I was working at a studio run by some fantastic musicians who were helping get young people to play together after the terrible war there. The lyrics are common within a lot of blues songs. Love never runs smoothly.
8. She’s My Girl
I wrote this tune a few years ago when I was exploring some Motown crossover rock vibes. I pulled it out because I thought it would go down amazing with Innes’ guitar style. I wanted a Motown vibe with the MC5 and I think that’s what we got. Maybe a bit of Stones in there as well as a bonus… From Detroit to London. She’s My Girl really rocks out for me the way I intended.
9. Rabbit Hole
The song was not written for this project, but when Innes heard the demo, he liked it so much he persuaded me to record it. It is undoubtedly the most unique song on the album and speaks of more mature subject matter – before and after life, birth, death, and sightings of the Devil and God ‘down by the riverside” taking bets on my soul. I guess that isn’t such an odd topic for a blues song when you begin to think about it. The production of the vocals and the guitar keep it in tune with the rest of the album even though the song itself is a bit outside the box.
10. Everyday’s A Miracle
This song makes a perfect bookend to the first song Come Together. It’s another plea for love and peace, to be thankful for what we have and to look around and appreciate life. “For every star a mother gives birth.” Musically it’s the nearest we get to soul music for which we both have a mutual love. Listen for Stevie Watts’ beautifully understated gospel lines on the Hammond organ takes us straight back to church. This song ends the album a real sense of optimism and hope… “There’s so much beauty to behold.”
