Creek Road Eleven – Somewhere Along The Road (2025)
With a classic blues sound melded with the passion of country I’d thought had been lost to the sands of time, Creek Road Eleven have delivered a well-made record in Somewhere Along the Road. This Finnish collective is proof that you don’t have to hail from the southern states of the US to produce great country and blues.
Coming out fast and hard, they hit with ‘Factory Blues’ with all the foot-tapping funk and raw raspy vocals you’d expect from seasoned veterans; you can tell their 10 years together has been time well spent. The next track, ‘Hobo’s Dream’, pushes the record forward with much of the same solid sound, a wonderful musical melting pot. For anyone who is a fan of The Grateful Dead, this band will really captivate your attention.
I think the real beauty of this band is the cohesive sound in which all elements play their part like a well-oiled machine. For me, the keys make the whole sound, tying it all together. I’d love to catch them live, as I can imagine it is a sight to behold.
In a record filled with gems, a couple of tracks stood out for me; the first one is ‘Springtime’. I loved the jangly guitar at the opening, offering a distinctly country feel to it. This country sound is further ratified through the vocals. I was particularly impressed by ‘Springtime’ because, for me, country music is so hard to get right and being able to produce a sound like this is a feat in itself; the merging of country and blues is an absolute triumph!
Another track which really captured my attention was ‘Walking Back To Georgia’. The change of pace was a refreshing break in the record. I do love a sombre love song, and that is what ‘Walking Back To Georgia’ delivers, simply put, it’s just a wonderful track.
My absolute favourite song on the album is ‘Real Good Time’. It has everything a great country song needs, but with its own distinct attitude. The real highlight of the track comes in the form of the bridge, where the cohesive sound I highlighted earlier is even more evident. It is truly a piece of music you can lose yourself in and be tapping along to, so that when the vocals kick back in, it jolts you back into the room.
The parting boon of this record is the closing track, ‘Black Bird’, which bookends this collection of great songs perfectly. The contrast to ‘Factory Blues’ and the energy that it offers is captured beautifully with the changes in tempo. It’s a fantastic pop song, filled with hooks and melody, whilst keeping true to their distinct country DNA, and the perfect way to wrap up the album.
As soon as I’d finished Creek Road Eleven’s album, I began exploring their back catalogue, so I had somewhere to go when I’d finished Somewhere Along the Road. Thankfully, I have two albums to visit after this with Creek Running Again and Long Harvest to hit when I’m done with this record, which honestly might be a while. Somewhere Along the Road is an album with definite replay value and one I’ll be sharing with as many people as I can. I implore you all to do the same.
Find out more about Creek Road Eleven on their Spotify.
This artist was sent to us by Obsidian PR.
