Listening to this debut album by Saint Jude you may be forgiven for thinking it belongs in a different time, like the last 30 years didn't exist. You see, Saint Jude like The Rolling Stones, just a touch, and 'Diary Of A Soul Fiend' is a bit of a gem really.

Opener 'Soul On Fire' evokes 'Exile' era Stones straight away, that lovely telecaster intro riff sets the tone for the whole album to follow, honky-tonk piano and nice bottleneck solo make for a fine start. Lynne Jackaman has a fine voice on her, think Janis Joplin or Tina Turner, even a female Chris Robinson springs to mind. Female-fronted rock bands such as this are a bit hit and miss really these days, never quite hitting all the right buttons for me, but Saint Jude are a bit different, and in Lynne Jackaman they have a fine singer - who is also pleasing to the eye, which is always a bonus - but the ace in the pack it seems, for me, is guitarist and main songwriter Adam Greene who plays some beautiful guitar on this album, very Keef in style.

'Little Queen' has a catchy, classic chorus, pure rock 'n' roll and would make a great single. 'Down This Road' is pure Black Crowes with some nice gospel tinged backing vocals - Jackaman shines here, coming on all Joplin. 'Pleased To Meet You' has a classic Keith Richards-like riff.

Jackaman has the delivery and conviction of a seasoned pro, the band a finely tuned unit, the product of seven years' hard slog and it shows, the songs have soul and depth. Recorded in Kentucky by former Rolling Stones producer Chris Kimsey, this album has a genuine 'live in the studio' feel to it, some songs turn to jams, in a good way, and add to the real live feel. 'Angel' is beautiful, again reminding me of 'Southern Harmony' era Black Crowes when they were at their best; warm, rich and full of feeling. The acoustic led 'Rivers And Streams' flows along just as the title suggests, lifting nicely for the chorus.

So, there you have it, ten tracks of bluesy, soulful rock 'n' roll, housed in a rather fine digipack full of classy black and white shots of the band live and in the studio. All in all a cracking debut for a band who can add Ronnie Wood and Jimmy Page as admirers. The future looks bright.

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