Claude Hay: Deep Fried Satisfied

Who the hell is Claude Hay? A guitar player from Australia. That’s all you really need to know. Oh, and there’s this: he rocks.

Deep Fried Satisfied, Hay’s latest full-length, is an 11-track primer in How to Be a Guitar God in 11 Easy Steps. Playing a twin-necked ax that looks custom-built to me (but what do I know), Hay takes us on a tour through twangy pickin’ in “Get Me Some” and “How Do You Live with Yourself”, arena crunch in “On Hold” and “Don’t Forget”, acoustic nimbleness on “Two Zero Seven”, and slow-chug deep blues on “Friend” and “Miss You So”. Along the way there’s plenty of slide wizardry and silly vocals about, oh, pizza for example. Throw in an in-your-face rendition of a previously untouchable classic rock tune (Queen’s “We Will Rock You”), and you’ve got the complete package.

Hay’s voice isn’t the strongest in the world, but it’s churlish to complain when the guitar is so front-and-center and the energy is so relentless. Six-string freaks, go get’cha some.