Nowadays blues is often polished to a mirror shine or stretched so far it forgets its own bones, The Stomp’n Ramblers arrive with a record that feels like a necessary correction. Their debut album “Kick’n Stones” is not chasing trends or bending tradition for novelty’s sake. Instead, it reconnects with the primal heartbeat of the blues and reminds listeners why this music mattered in the first place. Raw, intimate, and profoundly human, this album marks a defining creative moment for a duo who sound like they have finally come home.
Formed by Owen Mancell and Ryan Stone, The Stomp’n Ramblers grew out of years of musical brotherhood forged in their previous band The Blind Pilots. When the pandemic silenced stages and scattered plans, both musicians found themselves in a reflective limbo. Owen remained on Sydney’s Northern Beaches while Ryan relocated near Brunswick Heads. Distance could have dissolved momentum, but instead it sparked something quieter and deeper. Ideas travelled back and forth through app messages, late-night voice notes, half-formed melodies, and lyrical fragments. In that digital back and forth, a renewed sense of purpose emerged.
Those early sketches were eventually tested where blues belongs most: in small breweries, bars, and intimate rooms where songs either breathe or die on the spot. Audience reactions were immediate and affirming. There was no need for studio gloss or grand gestures. The songs worked because they were honest. Encouraged by that response, the duo committed fully to the project. From an initial pool of twenty tracks, eleven were chosen to form “Kick’n Stones”, a tightly curated journey that never overstays its welcome and never wastes a note.
Recorded primarily at Damien Gerard Studios, with additional sessions at The Factory Studio in Mona Vale, the album deliberately avoids overproduction. Final mixes by Russell Pilling preserve the warmth, grit, and breath of the performances. You can hear fingers brushing strings, slide guitar scraping just slightly against steel, and the air moving between harmonica phrases. These are not imperfections. They are the humanity of the blues, and The Stomp’n Ramblers understand that instinctively.
At the core of the album is the chemistry between Owen and Ryan. Owen’s vocal delivery is rough-edged yet steady, carrying the weight of lived experience without slipping into affectation. His slide guitar work is economical and expressive, anchored by the steady thud of a stomp box that feels like a second heartbeat. Ryan’s harmonica does not simply decorate the songs. It speaks, argues, consoles, and provokes. Together, they evoke the conversational magic of legends like Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, while maintaining a voice that is unmistakably their own.
The album opens with “Unkind”, and within moments, it becomes clear that listeners are in safe hands. Finger-picked guitar cascades gently forward while the harmonica squalls, squeals, huffs, and wheezes in all the right places. There is finesse here, but never fragility. The groove settles in naturally, drawing you closer rather than demanding attention. It is an opening statement built on confidence rather than volume.
“Train” follows with greater restraint, proving that space can be as powerful as momentum. The song breathes, allowing its narrative to unfold with quiet authority. By contrast, “Buried In A Bottle” leans heavily into atmosphere and anticipation, its emotional tension simmering beneath the surface. These early tracks establish the album’s guiding principle: less can be more, if every gesture carries intent.
The title track “Kick’n Stones” stands as the album’s philosophical core. Lyrically, it embraces classic blues themes of wandering, release, and resignation, while framing them with modern clarity. Plans fall away, attachments loosen, and the road stretches endlessly ahead. Ryan’s harmonica circles Owen’s vocal like a restless thought, reinforcing the sense of movement and uncertainty. It is road-worn blues without nostalgia, grounded in the present moment.
Throughout the album, The Stomp’n Ramblers demonstrate an acute understanding of blues history without becoming trapped by it. Influences like RL Burnside echo in the grooves, but never overshadow the duo’s own voice. Tracks like “Way Back Home” offer warmth and gentle nostalgia, while “Vanity” sharpens the lyrical focus, revealing a band unafraid to interrogate ego, illusion, and self-deception.
Then comes “Politician”, a track so timely and timeless it briefly collapses all sense of era and geography. Short, punchy, and unflinchingly direct, it shifts the album’s gaze outward. This is protest blues in its purest form, deft and devastating, stripped of slogans and delivered with quiet fury. For a moment, there is no year, no state, no country. There is only the blues, speaking truth to power the way it always has.
As the album moves toward its conclusion, “Last Kiss Goodbye” emerges as its most expansive statement. Clocking in at over five minutes, the track allows the duo to stretch emotionally and musically. Heartbreak and regret unfold slowly, with each phrase landing heavier than the last. The performance lingers, refusing to rush resolution, and closes the album with a resonance that stays long after the final note fades.
What makes “Kick’n Stones” such a compelling release is its absolute clarity of purpose. This is not blues as aesthetic or revivalist exercise. It is blues as lived experience, captured with humility and conviction. The minimalist setup forces every sound to matter, and to the duo’s credit, it always does. Nothing is wasted. Nothing is overstated.
All genres evolve. They must. But somewhere along the way, blues has often drifted so far from its source that it forgets its original spirit. The Stomp’n Ramblers remind us that evolution does not require abandonment. Sometimes it requires reconnection. Real blues. Honest blues. The kind you feel in your chest rather than admire from a distance.
With “Kick’n Stones”, released on October 24, The Stomp’n Ramblers have delivered one of the year’s most compelling independent blues albums. It is raw, soulful, and deeply connected, a record that sounds like it was made because it had to be. For fans of authentic roots music, this is not just a recommendation. It is essential listening.
OFFICIAL LINKS:
Streaming Link: https://ffm.to/sr-kicknstones
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/thestompnramblers