Nickles & Dimes: Midnight Overdrive

When is the last time you heard a band from Norway that sounded like the Jimi Hendrix Experience playing blues-rock as if they came from suburban America? Nickles & Dimes is that band. The have released albums every three to four years since 1993. So they do have a record of accomplishment as a veteran recording band.

Midnight Overdrive was my introduction to this smokin’ electric blues trio. Even if it’s obvious, that the Hendrix worship is all over the place here, I really enjoyed the CD. The fact that I love Hendrix does not hurt a bit either.

Right at the outset of the opening track ” 3 2 Get Ready” when you hear a scream you know something is up. It is the sign that you are about to have your soul rocked, and by god they do a good job of it. “Trampoline” is their ode to the masters of the past, three minutes and twenty-seven seconds of pure rockin’ bliss; blues-rock energy just like Jimi would have it.

The trio is Steffen Nicolaisen (guitar & vocals), Arild Steinsrud (bass), and Nils H. Maehlum (drums). At times Nicolaisen reminded me of one the great rock vocalist, the UFO front man Phil Moog. Yet another band that has that blues-rock influence in their music. When you think about it for a minute, there are not too many rock bands worth their salt that do not have that influence somewhere in their music…thank you Robert Johnson.

This was an enjoyable CD with a solid sound and production. When you get right down to it this was great fun to hear, especially tracks like “Rubber Man,” with that crazy acoustic slide going on backed with a locomotive rhythm section that never misses a step.

I think this band has enormous potential if they step further away from the more obvious influences and carve out their own legacy with their god given talents. Take for example the direct Hendrix or Stevie Ray riff fleecing from “Kill That Dog.” Did I hear someone say “Vodoo Chile”? Then again, it could simply be about their respect for those legends, or just for kicks, who knows? In the end it does not really matter to me, I enjoyed the music! There is no doubt in my mind that everything is in order for this band to take it to the next level; they just need to find their own road with an original approach and some new and different sounds.

August 27, 2006

01. 3 2 Get Ready (3:02)
02. This Is The House (3:18)
03. Trampoline (3:27)
04. One On One (5:40)
05. Lets Talk About Freedom (3:03)
06. Walking In The Sun (3:42)
07. Rubber Man (3:16)
08. Kill That Dog (4:23)
09. Love Cant Fool Me (3:42)
10. Burning Soul (6:44)

Credits:
Steffen Nicolaisen: Guitar & vocals
Arild Steinsrud: Bass
Nils H. Maehlum: Drums

Additional Musicians:

Lars Andre Kvistum: Organ & Piano
John Heslo: Flute
Ove Husemoon: Background Vocals
Per Strand: Slideguitar