American rock band Alapaha Shine is the brainchild of L Brandon Blair, from Lake City, Florida, and this self-titled EP was released on 23/12/2022. The band formed in 2022 and has so far released one EP and a few other singles that will eventually all be included on another EP.

The band is a one-man band with L Brandon Blair taking charge of all vocals, guitar, bass, and drum duties, with a revolving mix of supporting musicians. Influenced by a wide range of bands from Aerosmith and Guns n Roses to 90’s bands such as Stone Temple Pilots and Soundgarden, and even modern bands like Whiskey Myers, The Cadillac Three and Tyler Bryant and The Shakedown, the sound this guy has created is a mix of just about everything rock, from grunge, to blue and even a little bit of country / southern thrown in for good measure.

Totalling just over 22 and a half minutes in length, the EP has five standalone tracks, each one different from the previous.

Kicking off with the rocky, yet funky and bluesy Hometown, each track mixes different genres to create a distinctive sound, keeping the listener interested and engaged in the music at all times.

The guitars are heavy in places but also more laid back when they need to be. Slight distortion is used at various times throughout the EP to create a grunge vibe to the track, and there is even the twang of a country guitar to be heard too.

Funky yet meaty basslines give the EP a swagger and a groove that is infectious to the listener and the drumming, while energetic, maintains the pace and speed of the songs perfectly.

The vocals are very classic in style, strong and powerful yet able to cope with the slower paced lyrics too, and with the added grit to his vocals, L Brandon Blair is able to propel himself right into the hard rock and rock n roll genres with ease.

This is a great EP that will appeal to fans of classic rock, rock n roll, alternative rock and just about all other types of rock alike. It is upbeat and with catchy hooks and lyrics it is certainly one that will stay in your head long after you have finished listening to it.

I very much look forward to further music from this exceptionally talented musician!

Track Listing

1) Hometown

2) The Other Side

3) Better Now

4) One Less Thing

5) Old Friend

This review is the property of The Metal Asylum