I first came across Howlin Shibanski when their lead singer took to stage at a Blues Town Session at Mercury some time ago.

Right there an then I fell in love with Midiane L'Etranger ‘s voice.

Their official demo, released online recently, was my first taste of the full band in action, and man, these boys don’t disappoint.

From their cover of “Hoochie Coochie man”, to the slow drawl of “Mindless sh*t”, Howlin Shabanski have taken standard blues roots and tweaked them slightly.

Listening just to their originals, I almost want to call their music “modern blues” or, as with “I need a job, suh” maybe “radio friendly blues”.  It is somehow a little lighter and softer than traditional blues.

Guitarist Illimar Neitz switches between alternative and bluesy sounds while drummer Jako Loots tempts me into playing air drums at my desk with a very steady beat.

Having said this however, I do feel that the rhythm section could have featured a little more prominently. I hardly hear Fritz Vrede’s bass on one or two of the songs.

But don’t take my word for it, head over to http://soundcloud.com/thehowlinshibanski/sets/the-howlin-shibanski-2012-demo and take a listen for yourself.

For more info on the band, visit www.thehowlinshibanski.com.