Taken from their performance on BBC Radio 1’s Rock Show in July 2012, just a month before their bus crash in Bath, Baroness are releasing a limited run of their Maida Vale BBC sessions via Relapse Records on 12” vinyl with gorgeous artwork by the talented John Baizley.
All four tracks are taken from their 2012 release Yellow and Green and are the carefully selected, anthemic songs ‘Take My Bones Away’, ‘March To The Sea’, ‘Cocanium’ and ‘The Line Between’. Disappointingly there is only one track selected from the ‘Green’ side of the album, however, the quality of the ‘Yellow’ selection more than makes up for this absence.
Baroness sound at their best when unrefined and not held by the constraints of studio production; the vocals are imperfect and the instrumentals are raw as hell, but there is a certain charm to this and it suits the band immensely.
Of course there is the pang of longing that comes from listening to a live album that makes you wish you were there, however, this quickly abated by the reassurance that you didn’t miss a huge live show, as this is a radio performance. Sit back, relax and enjoy the energy and the flaws as one.
7/10
Angela Davey