Wayward Sons' 'Even Up the Score' - Album Review

I always thought that it was a shame that until a few years ago, following the break-up of Little Angels in 1994, Toby Jepson struggled to find a musical home for himself. With the exception of a Little Angels reunion that took place in 2012 and 2013, the singer spent the rest of his time either away from the music industry entirely or as a member of a number of different established bands. These stints in other bands, such as Gun and Fastaway, were short lived; and a sporadic solo career never really took off. This lengthy time in the wilderness was a real shame, as Jepson deserved better. Little Angels were seemingly on an upward trajectory throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s - so much so that 1993's Jam, the band's final album, went to Number 1 in the Official UK Album Charts. This success was not enough to keep the band from splitting up a year later however, but I wonder what sort of future the band would have had had they kept going at the time. The optimist in me hopes that they would have pushed on from Jam's success, but the realist in me thinks that they would have probably seen a drop-off in popularity. By the mid 1990s, the British rock scene that had kicked off during the late 1980s was waning - with bands like The Quireboys, Thunder, and The Almighty starting to see a decline in popularity. Little Angels would have probably followed suit had they not broken up, but a successful 2012 reunion tour proved that there was still a lot of love out there for a band. I think it is fair to say that the Little Angels reunion also did wonders for Jepson's profile. Around the same time as the 2012 tour he joined the Dio Disciples, which put him back in the spotlight, and his solo career seemed to pick up somewhat too. He also started to work as a producer, and he helped Saxon to put together one of their best recent albums in 2011's Call to Arms. In recent years, however, Jepson has been the busiest that he has been for quite a while. In 2017 he put together the band Wayward Sons, which has been his main musical outlet ever since. For the first time since Little Angels, Jepson finally has a home - and Wayward Sons have been touring and putting out albums at an impressive rate over the past few years. The band's second album, The Truth Ain't What It Used To Be (which I reviewed here), was released in 2019 - not long after I saw the band put on a strong set supporting Black Star Riders in Bristol. Two years on, and following a busy summer festival period, Wayward Sons are back with their third album Even Up the Score - a catchy hard rock release that returns to the more in-your-face sound featured on their 2017 debut album Ghosts of Yet to Come. The Truth Ain't What It Used To Be was a bit more varied sound-wise, but Even Up the Score is much punchier - with plenty of riffs and hooks to keep things interesting.

Despite having 12 tracks, Even Up the Score is an album that really flies by. The songs here are all relatively short; aiding the album's punchy nature; which is a big reason it makes an immediate impact. Even Up the Score is not a complicated album by any means, and the opening title track is testament to this. Following a brief drum crash from Phil Martini, a great Deep Purple-esque guitar riff kicks in. Jepson and fellow guitarist Sam Wood nail the groove-based rolling riff perfectly, while Dave Kemp backs them up nicely with his Hammond organ. There are a lot of Deep Purple, particularly the Mk. III iteration of the band, tropes to be found throughout the song. Kemp's Hammond playing is busy and filled with classically-infused melodies, while Martini's drumming has a real swing to it. The chorus is much more urgent however, and contrasts nicely with the rest of the song, with punky beats and a strong Jepson vocal providing a big hook. Big Day, which follows, is less Deep Purple influenced, but there is still plenty of glistening organ throughout. Kemp, who has recently stepped back from the band due to health issues, puts on a great show throughout the album. He knows when to dominate the mix, but even his subtle additions really bulk the album out. Big Day shows off his more subtle approach, with the guitars instead dominating rhythmically - while Jepson's vocal melodies take centre stage. The chorus has something of a playful melody that sounds similar to some of the more carnival-esque moments on the band's previous album - but the energy is overall more similar to Wayward Sons' debut album. A lengthy Wood solo injects some classic rock swagger into the track too, and the song is a strong cut that contributes to the album opening in fine fashion with a solid one-two punch. Sign of the Times is similar, but it feels somewhat heavier overall. The production, courtesy of the band and Chris D'Adda, is raw enough to allow the band to sound heavy - but there is still a lushness throughout, largely thanks to Kemp's keyboards. His organ forms a great bed for the track again, but this is another guitar-heavy song that features barrelling riffs and a great old-school heavy blues rock aesthetic - albeit turned up to 11 with its fast pace and punchy Martini drum performance. Bloody Typical slows things down somewhat following three fast-paced rockers, and instead opts for a mid-paced power pop-esque groove that sounds more like something that could have sat on the band's previous album. The CD booklet reveals that some of the album was recorded in the spring of 2019, which would suggest that some of the tracks originated during the sessions for The Truth Ain't What It Used To Be. I would not be surprised if this song was one of those numbers, as it has a sound more akin to the slightly more experimental vibe of that album - which Cheap Trick-esque pop melodies and a relatively stripped back groove. A harmonised Wood solo adds some classic rock spirit, but on the whole Bloody Typical is much poppier than the album's typical sound.

Faith in Fools retains a similar pace to Bloody Typical, but it ups the heaviness again. Despite a number of hard rocking riffs, the song is generally quite dynamic - with big riffs sitting nicely side-by-side with more atmospheric sections. Wood lays down a number of great bluesy guitar lines throughout the track, while the verses and pretty stripped back - with Kemp's keyboards and Nic Wastell's bass forming the base for Jepson's vocals. These relatively low key verses allow the choruses, which ramp up with powerful guitar chords and louder drums, to hit harder - and they are big sing-a-long moments as a result. Jepson has always had a knack for writing strong choruses, and the one here has something of anthemic vibe - which suits the song's somewhat slower pace nicely. Fake is similar structure-wise, but instead of going for a somewhat atmospheric vibe the verses are much more groove-based and bluesy. Wastell's bass dominates the verses; his snaking basslines fitting the punchy drum groove nicely; while the choruses are heavier with a big guitar presence and an organic keyboard melody. The song is certainly not as heavy as the album's opening numbers, but following Bloody Typical and Faith in Fools it feels heavy. The guitar riffing here is much more potent, and the rumble of the bass throughout grounds the song well. Downfall has a real Thin Lizzy vibe in my opinion, and it ups the pace again to deliver a snappy experience. The song is not filled with harmony guitar leads, but it is a riff-based rocker in the vein of Thin Lizzy songs like Bad Reputation. The song's main riff, and the guitar tone throughout, is very Thin Lizzy esque - and even Jepson's vocal delivery is seems to channel the late Phil Lynott a little. Perhaps touring with Black Star Riders in 2019 rubbed off on the band somewhat, as there is definitely a little of the Thin Lizzy legacy on display here. Wood's explosive guitar solo is not very Scott Gorham-esque, however, but it is packed with great bluesy licks and shredded lead lines. It fits the song perfectly, and the track is another highlight thanks to its energy and potent riff. Tip of My Tongue is more of a mid-paced song, and it is another relatively dynamic piece that moves between louder and quieter sections with ease. The opening riff has some real weight behind it, but the verses are much quieter. Wastell's bass is once again the main ingredient throughout the verses, although there is plenty of depth added by Kemp's keyboards. As with some of the previous songs here too, the choruses ramp up somewhat - although the track lacks the heaviness of much of the album, with the power pop-esque sound of Bloody Typical revisited somewhat instead.

Looking for a Reason opens with a great bass and drum groove, which Wood soon adds to with some effects-heavy guitar stabs. This relatively sparse intro is short lived however, as the track soon kicks off properly by picking up the pace. Jepson injects some punk energy into the song with some tough rhythm playing and machine gun vocal melodies, and the song overall is one of the album's highest energy pieces. Despite this, however, there is still plenty of time for some great classic rock-esque virtuosity. Kemp's organ solo roars out of the speakers, and then Wood takes over to deliver a tasty blues-based solo that also packs a punch. It is a song that really channels the energy of the band's debut album, and due to its pace it is likely to become a live favourite in the future. Land of the Blind once again returns to the Thin Lizzy influence that was flirted with earlier, although this time the Irish band's sound is toyed with more subtly. The song's opening features some brief moments of harmony lead guitar, which remind me of Thin Lizzy, but the rest of the song is more typical of Wayward Sons' core sound. There is a bit less energy this time, which allows the music itself to be a little more overtly melodic. The choruses in particular feature lots of melodic playing, with Wastell's bass pushing everything along, which is a perfect backing for Jepson's folky, storytelling lyrical delivery. A lengthy guitar solo from Wood closes the song out nicely too, and the track is another highlight due to its overall emphasis on melody. They Know ups the heaviness again, at least early on, with the song's opening riff being one of the album's most in-your-face and powerful. It actually reminds me somewhat of Until the End from the band's debut album, which suggests that Wayward Sons have already settled on their core sound. The song is a little more varied than the anthemic Until the End, however, with lots of great guitar soloing throughout and some occasional prominent piano lines from Kemp. It is a song that mixes the band's core sound nicely with some other influences, with the overall mix of sounds working well together. The album then comes to a close with the slower This Party's Over, which has the feel of a true closing number due to its big sound and theatrical vibe. It is a song that brings out the best of the whole band, and everyone pulls together to deliver its big sound. Kemp is the standout performer throughout, with his diverse array of keyboard sounds, but Jepson again shines with a powerful vocal performance that suits the song's more deliberate pacing nicely. The band also make a relatively rare use of some big backing vocals throughout the song too which, along with a few other tricks, make the track the album's perfect coda. It also makes it clear that, despite its short length, Even Up the Score is a well-paced and varied album - which packs a lot into its 12 songs. There is a lot to like here for fans of classic rock, and Jepson has once again shown why he is a great melodic songwriter. It is great to see Wayward Sons continue to go from strength to strength, and I hope that there is a lot more to come from the band in the future.

The album was released on 8th October 2021 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Faith in Fools.