Davy Knowles ‘MKO’

Any guitarist looking for a quality blues rocker to emulate couldn’t do better than latch onto Rory Gallagher. But Davy Knowles went one better; he hired Gallagher’s band to support him.

They share equal billing on MKO, released on Oct. 17. Bassist Gerry McAvoy (M) and drummer Brendan O’Neill (O) have toured extensively with Knowles (K) as Band of Friends (they once played all Gallagher material) but this is the first time they have collaborated on a studio album of original songs. The eight tunes are penned and sung by Knowles and while they share some of Gallagher’s driving approach and the power trio lineup he favored both in his own work and that of his previous band Taste, this is no copycat outfit.

Knowles, like his biggest influence, knows that successful blues rockers need firm melodies with memorable lyrics, as well as succinct, gripping guitar solos. He displays the sum of those talents on material such as “High Horse,” a kiss-off to an old flame with “It’s the same ol’ record playin’,…You ain’t got nothin’ good to say”. He unleashes his slide on a flaming solo as bass and drums deliver swampy backing. It’s such a cool vibe, you’ll wish it would extend past its three-and-a-half minute length.

It’s an impressive start for what seems like a project that has legs. In MKO with McAvoy and O’Neill, Knowles has found a rhythm section that meets his high standards; a duo road-tested, approved and certified by one of the blues-rock greats.

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