A couple of weeks ago Jersey based three piece Hot Juice played their biggest show to date headlining the Made In Jersey Stage at the island’s Weekender festival after winning a battle of the bands contest and releasing their third single, Small Town Blues.

The track starts out as it means to go in with a blast of Harvey Dellar’s drums setting the stage for a driving rocker of a song that, while reasonably straightforward, comes across with a real sense of character from the band.

The subject is one that will be universally familiar exploring the delight that is gossip and life in a small town (or island) and the effect that can have, though it adds a more positive spin to this than many others might.

Meanwhile the sound the band create draws on aspects from the classic rock the 70s with a modern edge to it highlighted by a great rolling bass line from Tay Broski and, while a little more rough around the edges, brings something to mind of Guernsey/Brighton band Of Empires.

The production is nicely layered with extra guitars from Shay Barker added to the mix giving it a nice thick sound but, as soon as the song gets going, it feels like its over, and it’s not often I say this, but it seems like it finishes before we get to the meat of the track.

That said it’s hard to argue with the driving groove of Small Town Blues and it makes a firm statement for Hot Juice showing why they are making their mark on the scene in the island and it’s certainly made me want to see them live at the nearest opportunity.