Ross Neilsen – Within Tension
Under Pressure Records
10 songs – 41 minutes
Within Tension is Saskatoon-based Ross Neilsen’s 11th release, but first since 2016’s Elemental, recorded in four days at Sam Phillips Recording Services in Memphis when Neilsen was competing at the International Blues Competition in the city in January 2025. Produced by Neilsen, Kevin Houston and John C. Stubblefield, the result is a powerful blues-rock statement of intent.
Featuring nine songs written or co-written by Neilsen, together with a great cover of Eddie Hinton’s “Something Heavy”, the album is a gritty, muscular, mature release, with some stellar songs and great performances. Neilsen plays all guitars and provides all lead vocals, aided and abetted by some top drawer Memphis talent. Stubblefield plays bass, Jay Sheffield III is the drummer and Rick Steff handles all keyboards. In addition, the horn section of Marc Franklin and Art Edmaiston (Gregg Allman, Little Feat) add some serious soul to two tracks.
Neilsen is a superb vocalist, exhibiting emotional depth whether on the finger-picked acoustic closer, “Bold And Beaten”, or the raucous opener, “Rock Ranger”. He’s also a more than handy guitar player, laying down a series of great riffs (Deep Purple would have killed to come up with “Devil’s Picasso”, while the hypnotic drone of the verse of “Road To Memphis” is as subtle an ear worm as you’ll hear all year), fingerpicking in the likes of “Bold And Beaten”, or strumming an acoustic guitar in “Come To Be”. He’s a fine soloist as well, particularly on the slide solos in “Rock Ranger” and “Road To Memphis”, but it’s clear that Neilsen’s primary focus is on serving the song rather than demonstrating his prowess on the six-string.
This is traditional blues-rock but with a modern zing. While “Rock Ranger” may sit at the rockier end of spectrum, a track like “Salt And Sea” has one foot in the blues but the other firmly in experimental rock (as well as some lovely, airy keyboards from Steff). The organ in “Troubled Mind” has hints late-60s bands like the Doors or the Zombies, although Neilsen’s guitar tone is significantly more modern. And the blue-eyed soul of “Good Enough” is greatly enhanced by Franklin and Edmaiston’s horns.
Hinton’s “Something Heavy” (previously also recorded by Shemekia Copeland) is one of highlights of the album, based around a simple, repetitive groove but letting Neilsen let loose vocally.
Exploring lyrical themes of mental health, identity, isolation and belonging, Within Tension is a very impressive, very enjoyable release from Neilsen. Well worth exploring.
