This EP came compliments of a sticker saying that this would be the next Jack White prog blues, with Black Keys intensity and pure ZZ Top buzz and swagger. Destello– “flash,” in Spanish according to MySpace– is not any of that.
Flash Lightnin’ starts it off with meek beginnings in “Coming on Strong,” which sounds like the other four tracks: a well-intentioned southern rock guitarist with too much metronome and too little fire got together with an almost invisible drummer. They then dug themselves up a vocalist who believes Colin James through an Axl Rose grit filter without any real screech sounds like gritty, driving southern blues rock. The real problem in Destello is it’s really hard to tell if it’s the production that saps the life out of Flash Lightnin’ or if they’re just the tired amalgamation of every southern rock cover band that’s bored people off a dance floor. Guitar solos are supposed to be the part where the intensity builds so much the guitar screams and you rock out. If you give the track “Walking Blues” a listen, it’ll tell you other wise. If you’re really into chuggy blues riffs with lots of walk, trashy but painfully even-tempered vocals and drawn bass, Destello is maybe for you. Provided you like your drunk, sleazy, blues-shack rock to be stuck in prohibition.