Will McBride Group - None the Worse for Wear

Will McBride Group

None the Worse for Wear
self-released; 2021

​3.8 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

The Will McBride Group is a band with a good amount of experience. The band has had over seven hundred performances throughout central and eastern North Carolina, including opening shows for many well-known acts, such as ZZ Top, Eddie Money, Styx and Leon Russell.

The band recently released a four-song EP entitled None The Worse For Wear. Their music is the type in my opinion that you will most likely want to hear if you’re going out on a Friday. Simply put it feels like music you would want to listen to with a couple beers and good friends.

They get going with “Good Enough” and it is a funky and rock based song. The bass is fluid, the guitars are clean and the groove is rock solid. It reminded me of listening to a mix of Three Dog Night and The Jackson 5. In this case the verse is actually the more danceable section of the song although the chorus is more emotive in some ways. I also liked the background female vocalist. The vibe is very ’70s based.

“Cue To Call” is a little more classic rock in some ways. There’s a more grit on the guitar and the band Steely Dan came to mind. The band is in top form here and creates some nice tension and crescendos. I liked the topic which is about “real” bands making music and also the current state of the industry. Either way they don’t seem to be happy with the current state of affairs.

“Seascape” is a very chill song with elements of jazz and blues. The band locks onto a couple of great grooves. Kudos to the drummer for keeping things very tight here. This is an instrumental track and for the most part everyone seems to get their time in the sun. The guitar solo is great.

“No for an Answer'' was the highlight. The band goes all in with the funk and is close to sounding like James Brown at points. It's really fantastic all around from the background to the lead. It seems like a good way to end a show.

This is a live band at their heart. Recording can only be approximations of the real thing but these songs should make you want to go and see them live. Take a listen.

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