Sally Pepper; energetic, vigorous, vibrant and catchy are just some of the definitions you may conjure whilst listening to some of her music. Sally Pepper is from Stoke-on-Trent and looks to take on the northern world of music. Pepper’s voice is strong and full of emotion that ranges quite seamlessly so. Not only is her voice a credible ingredient, her knack for creating the catchiest of hooks is another grand element of her talent. Now that her recent EP, “Almost Everywhere” is available to the world, it’s her turn to have single of the week with the richly classic/folk rock infused “White Knuckle Secrets”.

You couldn’t possibly ignore the beautiful rhythm of this song along with its explosive riff that will be ingrained into your cortex (and ears) for some time to come. The song notably features singer/songwriter, Tom Kavanagh from Exeter’s quintet, I Divide. Their collaboration works incredibly well, their voices sync perfectly and deliver the lyrics with an ignition the song deserves. The drums stomp with an avid confidence, the guitars wrap round each other with a wonderful synergy, creating a pulsating anthem full of an excitable force. “White Knuckle Secrets” gives me an image of KT Tunstall’s music hyped up on caffeine; it’s soulful, dynamic and has plenty of scope in terms of sound. Folk music these days seem to have a bit of a plastic pastiche (not naming any names although I’m sure you know who I mean) but Pepper and her crew definitely know how to grasp a perfect rock/folk song without any false pretentions. The sincerity in her voice says it all, there’s a passion that’s pervasively palatable. This is a solid hit for the upcoming spring for sure and perhaps you should try and catch Sally live this 2014, she’s making the rounds around the north. Plus, check out her EP, it’s a beguiling treat.

https://soundcloud.com/sallypeppermusic/white-knuckle-secrets-feat-tom

https://www.facebook.com/SallyPepperMusic

Review by guest reviewer Craig Podmore