The British Bluescasting Corporation — or simply The BBC, though not that BBC — return with Saints & Sinners, the follow-up to their well-received debut album High Horse.

Released in 2025, Saints & Sinners features 12 tracks and runs at around 44 minutes, continuing the band’s blend of feel-good rhythm & blues, blues-rock, pub-rock energy and British musical wit.

The album builds on the momentum of High Horse, which, according to the band’s press release, reached the Top 20 in both the IBBA and Roots Music charts, received international airplay and earned strong reviews. The new album was recorded at The Hive Rooms and mastered at Abbey Road Studios.

At the heart of the record is the core line-up of Bob Cranham, Ben Keen, Barry Cook and Dave Williamson — musicians whose collective CV reads like a guided tour through decades of British and international music.

Bob Cranham, on guitar and vocals, has worked with names including Five Star, John Denver, The Nolans, Michael Nyman, Newton Faulkner, the BBC, the National Theatre and many others. The band’s own biography also notes his work as a producer, with more than 50 albums across different genres to his name.

On bass and vocals, Dave Williamson brings a heavyweight background in rock, pop and soul. His credits include work with Midge Ure, Beverley Knight, Emma Bunton, Ronan Keating, Heatwave, Katrina and the Waves, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Diamond Head, Maggie Reilly, Lisa Stansfield, Dina Carroll and Leo Sayer, among others.

Behind the kit, Barry Cook has the kind of résumé that explains why the rhythm section feels so solid. His touring and performance history includes The Drifters, The Three Degrees, Gloria Gaynor, The Supremes, Billy Paul, Ben E. King, Martha Reeves, The Bay City Rollers and Bjorn Again, with work across the UK, Europe, the USA and Australia.

Then there is Ben Keen on guitar and vocals, whose official band biography keeps things gloriously British: he is described as an “accomplished guitar owner,” taller than average, generally punctual and, according to Bob, the second-best guitarist in the band. Behind the humour lies one of the band’s strongest assets: The British Bluescasting Corporation take the music seriously, but never fall into the trap of taking themselves too seriously.

Saints & Sinners also features an impressive guest list. The press release names Josh Phillips on Hammond, known for his work with Procol Harum and Eric Clapton, Mike Piggott on violin, associated with Pentangle and Ralph McTell, plus Bill McDonagh on saxophone and Nick Trish on trumpet, both connected with The Commitments.

Josh Phillips’ presence is especially notable for fans of Hammond-driven blues and rock. Procol Harum’s own archive identifies him as the band’s Hammond organ player for live dates in 1993 and again from 2004/2005 onwards.

The Dutch blues site Barn Owl Blues also highlights the album’s strong guest contributions, noting that Saints & Sinners contains twelve tracks, including two covers and mostly original material, with Phillips, Piggott, McDonagh and Trish adding extra colour to the sound.

Musically, this is not blues-by-numbers. The British Bluescasting Corporation operate in that rich space where blues meets rhythm & blues, rock ’n’ roll, soul, country touches and classic British pub-rock attitude. Their official description calls it “toe-tapping, feel-good Rhythm & Blues,” built around both classic blues material and original songs.

That same spirit was already evident on High Horse. Reviewing the debut, Blues Blast Magazine described the band as a seasoned crew of studio and touring musicians, noting the mix of rock, country, blues-rock and R&B, and praising the solid musicianship throughout.

With Saints & Sinners, The British Bluescasting Corporation sound like a band completely comfortable in their own skin. There is experience here, but no stiffness. There is humour, but no lack of seriousness in the playing. There are deep roots, but the record never feels like a museum piece.

For BluesWave Radio listeners, Saints & Sinners is the kind of album that deserves attention not only because it is a new British blues release, but because of the people behind it: musicians who have spent years backing major artists, holding down stages, filling studios and now pouring all of that history into their own music.

Saints or sinners? Probably a bit of both.
But one thing is certain: The BBC know exactly how to play the blues.