Album Review: The Mary Stokes Band, Let 'Er Roll!

They say that iron sharpens iron, and that famous proverb couldn’t be any more fitting than for this blues-infused bunch, The Mary Stokes Band. Having been forced to re-evaluate their very existence during the pandemic, the Dublin-based road warriors came storming back, releasing the sabre-rattling Comin’ Home in December 2020.

That album, which reaffirmed their blues-infused mission, won them a level of radio play that was unprecedented – and was voted Blues and Roots’ Radio Album of the Year in 2021.

Now, the Queen of Irish blues and her band follow their internationally acclaimed opus with Let ‘Er Roll!, and it’s a royally good affair from start to finish.

Featuring covers, re-imaginings and more, this raw and sometimes raucous LP superbly captures the power of their live show in a studio environment. Fret wizard Sarah Michelle, who first showed her hand on the Comin’ Home sessions, puts in some magical performances, notably on the Doors-inspired reworking of ‘Dearest Darling’.

Meanwhile, Zamo Riffman and Jay Oglesby – the twin dynamos of a newly installed rhythm section – make their presence felt throughout, to greatest effect perhaps on the rock solid ‘On Suzy’s Rooftop.’ There’s also a feast of brass on the raunchy ‘Down In The Basement’.

Upfront, Stokes’ expressive voice is as miraculous as ever (check the imperious ‘Have A Good Time’) and their cover of Rory Gallagher’s ‘Sinner Boy’ is diabolically good.

There’s an epic eight-minute version of ‘I Wish You Would’, with Brian Palm’s harp to the fore, which slips seamlessly, live-style, into a funky, rockin’ take on Bob Dylan’s ‘Maggie’s Farm’ that has the hallmark of Pete Holidai’s excellent punky mixing.

With 15 tracks, this is a feast for fans who know the difference between Big and Little Walter. Let ‘Er Roll! rocks.

8/10