Album Review: Pearl Handled Revolver - Tales You Lose (2025)

Written: 14th April 2025

More then fifteen years after their formation, Bedford dark rockers Pearl Handled Revolver have quietly built an interesting discography based around the merging of heavy rock, blues, prog and elements of jazz. Having played throughout the UK and Europe with the likes of The Black Crowes, Focus, Stray, Hawkwind, Karl Palmer, Jethro Tull and Don Airey, they are introducing their music to a wider audience with each passing year. Tales You Lose is the next step on their journey.

Bookended by two ten and half minute songs, Tales You Lose opens with Black Rock, an intriguing slow burning opener. Pearl Handled Revolver are happy to spend the time drawing the listener steadily into their world and the album is all the better for it. It starts with gentle drumming from Chris Thatcher and mysterious synths from Simon Rinaldo before vocalist Lee Vernon begins his narrative of disillusionment, introspection and search for meaning amid emotional and societal depths. I wasn’t looking for salvation / I wasn’t primed before the meet / Could not aside the revelations / Laid so coldly at my feet. As each moment passes, his delivery becomes slightly more intense as bass lines begin to dance; it is an extremely effective and beguiling technique. Two and a half minutes in, the track takes on a different persona and the first guitar solo kicks in. Backed by Rinaldo’s organ, there are moments in the song that bring Deep Purple to mind but not in a way that feels like a pastiche. The second half of the track is instrumental with the first section laid back but retaining its feeling of foreboding. Different influences come to the fore as the track progresses: firstly progressive rock than heavy hard rock - a smoky, hypnotic opener that commands attention and reveals the band’s true finesse.

Heart of Gold starts with brooding, reflective keyboards and Vernon’s dark baritone which is often highly redolent of Jim Morrison. Rather than relying purely on power and aggression, he makes enthralling use of mood and expression. Lyrically, the song delves into betrayal and vulnerability and the way being deceived can tarnish our souls. I had a heart of gold / Till you panned my river / I’m not the one whose lies were sold / I’m hoping you’ll deliver. As with Black Rock, the latter part of the song has an altogether different character and the combination of Rinaldo’s organ, Andy Paris’s guitar and Lucas Rinaldo’s bass is one that drives the song forward. Gilding The Lily definitely brings the feel of early Deep Purple to mind once again but nothing here feels forced. When they want to, Pearl Handled Revolver can certainly shift into a higher gear and Gilding The Lily provides them with several opportunities to do so.

The introduction to Lightning is blues-laden, chilled and slightly eerie. Pearl Handled Revolver’s skill in nuanced songwriting is evident throughout the album. Here, there are some delightful keyboard and guitar flourishes - such as the small guitar motif a few seconds before the one minute mark - that in themselves are small but add so much to the overall feel and detail of the song. By now, the album has completely hooked us as listeners and it has an atmosphere that would work extremely well late on a cool spring or summer’s evening with a glass of whisky in hand. An exquisite solo from Andy Paris adds a further layer to the lyrical overtones, a moment of realisation on a track that explores loss and resilience with lightning signalling transformative moments. There’s no secret to happiness / Not everyone will find it / But I know that you will cherish every time / Take it to your grave.

While there is a wonderful flow to the album, Courageous – which reaches seven minutes in length – brings more variety. With more of a bluesy groove, it hints at influences of Led Zeppelin and The Doors. Lucas Rinaldo’s bass provides a funky foundation as guitars and keyboards sit compellingly under Vernon’s unshakeable tenacity. Now before it seemed to me / To be any good I had to be care free / I can tell you now that / It’s lifted the illusion / Lifted the Illusion. Dealing with raw emotions, Courageous reflects on a wasted past but reveals a fight for clarity and identity. These feelings are perfectly encapsulated throughout the instrumentation of the song which sees the band playing with tempo and dynamics.

When the introduction of Space Invader comes crashing in, it is something of a surprise but also is another example of the thought that has gone into maintaining the listener’s attention. Lucas Rinaldo’s bass pulses with a deep, rhythmic funk-soaked heartbeat that is the spine of the song. Penultimate track Hammer – the shortest on the album at just under three minutes – sounds like the result of Jim Morrison and The Doors jamming with Jon Lord or Don Airey of Deep Purple but again there is enough of the band’s own DNA to make this a song that stands up in the modern era.

Tales You Lose ends with the ten and half minute Junkies, a track that brings together everything the album has offered thus far. Tightly composed, it surges like a pressure cooker for the first six and a half minutes – tight, volatile and bursting with gritty angst - the final minute of this the most rock fuelled of the entire album. There then follows a slightly more chilled section that at first makes the listener wonder if the track is fading out. Suddenly, dynamics and tempo increase once more for the final drive before the band leave us with the sound of rain and distant thunder reverberating for the closing ninety seconds of the song. It is an ending that gives the listener the chance to reflect on everything that has gone before, the dark lyrics and sombre emotions of the album either cleansed by the rain or the downpour acting as a catalyst for self-examination.

Tales You Lose is extremely accomplished, showcasing a band fully at home with their talents. Lyrically adept and musically artful with confident songwriting, the quintet deserve for the album to heard on a wide scale. Across its length, each member plays their part and while there are undoubtedly moments for different members to shine, it is the band’s collaborative nature that makes Tales You Lose such a success. Blending soulful, bluesy rock with weaving, haunting melodies, it takes us on an evocative journey that lives long in the memory.

Tales You Lose is released on 18th April 2025.

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