Written by: Nick Ashton
Band:
Title:
Release Date:
Rare Breed
Rare Breed
1st May 2026
A blues rock band requires three key components: a vocalist who sounds like they were born in a juke joint and raised on cigarettes and whiskey, a guitarist who can make you cry one second and bring the house crashing down the next, and a rhythm section so tight that you can’t pass a sheet of graphene between them. Rare Breed bring all that and more to the table on their excellent self-titled debut album.
The lineup of Adam Brooke (vocals/guitar), Arty Haire (bass) and Ollie Sergeant (drums) may only have coalesced in 2024, but it sounds like they have been playing together forever, such is the intuitive interplay between individuals. Brooke’s vocals are raw and soulful, while his guitar playing evokes a range of emotions. Keeping things solid in the background, Haire and Sergeant lock in together like a well-oiled machine driving the songs forward with a sonic sledgehammer on the upbeat numbers and stepping back to provide rhythmic structure in quieter moments. Collectively, the sound that they produce can be traced back to the origins of the genre in the 1960s and the electric blues from which that in turn evolved; but it is still fresh and vibrant with something new to say today.
… This mid-paced swampy blues oozes a cock of the walk swagger…
The album opens with Swamp which quickly introduces the key elements of the Rare Breed sound. This mid-paced swampy blues oozes a cock of the walk swagger, building in tempo as the guitar picking bursts into full blown distortion during the chorus before being reined back in, echoing the vocals. Underneath, the walking bass and deft drums keep things moving along at a steady pace. A similar quiet/loud approach is taken on Pieces and closing number Howlin’ which both show restraint during the verses before the guitar is unleashed and the solo builds towards a crescendo.
When they slow things down on the introspective Amsterdam it’s all about the mood and storytelling. The stripped back sound segues into a tasteful guitar solo which seemingly builds towards a climax, but instead of histrionics, it drifts away into the distance like early morning mist. Similarly, the smokey bar room blues of Heartache evokes a time and a place with thoughtful guitar picking and laid-back drum/bass backing. However, it’s not all about restraint as the band can rock out with the best too. Good Times is driven by an aggressive Zeppelin-esque riff and Beggin’ (On My Knees) is a brash statement of intent, while English Rose builds to a drum-driven swaggering chorus on the back of a foot stompin’ feel good guitar hook that lingers long after the song has finished.
Rare Breed have well and truly announced their arrival on the blues rock scene with this excellent debut. With a host of shows under their belt and album two already being laid down in the studio, I get the feeling that we’ll be hearing a lot more from this powerhouse trio in the near future.
Rare Breed are:
Adam Brooke – Vocals / Guitar
Arty Haire – Bass
Oliver Sergeant – Drums
Track Listing
-
Swamp
-
Pieces
-
Heartache
-
Good Times
-
English Rose
-
Beggin’ (On My Knees)
-
Amsterdam
-
Howlin’