Savage Sons emerged onto the scene about a year ago as a full band and quickly set about bringing their own take on the blues to Guernsey’s pub circuit. Now they have released their debut EP, Howlin’, and continue that trend on record.

The band combine a classic blues rock sound with a laconic Americana approach to create, across four tracks, their own version of the well trodden sound.

Opener Northern Railroad is as stylistically classic as they come with a wailing harmonica backing up the electric guitar lead as frontman Llewelyn Van Eeden sings on that none more Americana subject of locomotive travel.

Things then get a bit edgier lyrically on White Lightning while the addition of an acoustic guitar along with the electric showing a nod to more vintage, folky, traditions.

Rock ‘N’ Rolla is a suitably whisky soaked tale of hedonistic excess, before the EP is rounded off by the title track that is another cracking blues stomper evoking the classic devilish imagery associated with the blues since the days of Robert Johnson.

Van Eeden’s voice, with its twang of South African mixed in with the effected (not in a bad way) American, brings something of its own to the standard blues sound while first time drummer Adam Powell (otherwise known for his lead guitar work in the likes of power metallers Blacksmith) provides a un-flashy feel but with well suited rhythms.

My only real criticism is that the sound of the record is a little too neat and crisp for a supposedly Howlin’ set of songs based in such a traditionally lo-fi genre, but that’s a minor thing as this sets the stage (hopefully) for more and greater things to come from Savage Sons.