Formed in Long Beach, California as the latest roll of the dice for guitarist and career nearlyman Scott Holiday, the ascent of Rival Sons since 2009 has been one of post-millennium rock’s most emphatic success stories. At first glance, there was nothing unique about the blues-rock shapes and banshee-frequency Plant-isms of frontman Jay Buchanan. But by the time things swung into gear with 2011’s Pressure & Time, the Sons were an undeniable prospect, in command of whipsmart songcraft and modern bite, quotable at interview and seismic on the stage. The poison chalice of the ‘next Zeppelin’ tag has broken a few bright young things, but seven albums into their career, Rival Sons have risen to the plaudits – with caveats. Here’s how their discography stacks up.
