Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Somewhere between Bon Scott, Jim Morrison, the natural street like beauty of Steve Marriott and Jump’s John Dexter Jones lays the sweet heartbeat of Lee Gallagher and The Hallelujah.
It is one of the great pleasures in life that allows a person to hear the untwisted and unhindered emotion that a vocalist can bring to the delicately placed chord arrangements of the band that shroud the lyrical mystique to such a point where the words on offer to the listener take on air of mystery, a puzzle in which to immerse yourself into and gently work out what makes the charisma of the band tick so vibrantly.
Lee Gallagher and the Hallelujah’s self titled album not only have charisma but like Steve Marriott’s time with both Humble Pie and The Small Faces, the sexual lyrical allure and driving passion of Bon Scott and Jim Morrison and the intrigue and real human life stories that binds together John Dexter Jones work are mixed with fruitful conviction throughout the 11 songs on offer by Kirby Lee Hammell, Jacob Landrey, Kevin Grapski, Joe Miller and of course Lee Gallagher.
Not only does the album start well with the interesting The Hallelujah Prelude, but it really kicks into gear with the outstanding song Sugartown and the grace that inspires many a different emotion in Gloryland, Shallow Grave, the fantastic That’s How The Light Gets In and Feel Like Going Home. Once it grabs you there is no going back, there is no room for the unforgiving beast in you to say no, keep clear. Like listening to a gentler, perhaps more refined version of L.A. Woman but without the element of suspending disbelief of a set of songs fuelled in part by Jim Morrison’s love of excess, Lee Gallagher is engaging without going somewhere off the scale, in short a tremendous find and with a band that really understands the value of placing consideration and thoughtfulness above the briefest flirtation with outrageous reaction.
Epic for all the right reasons, enjoyable and remarkable, sometimes that is more than enough.
Ian D. Hall