The 22-20s return.

Amidst the stranglehold of the New Rock Revolution, overcast in ripped leather and black denim, Sleaford-born quartet the 22-20s achieved the impossible by breaking out of rural Lincolnshire and taking their burdened brand of blues to the undeserving masses.

In 2004, the band released their eponymous debut, which raged with an unbridled intensity, deeply-rooted in a world governed by love, loyalty, attraction and betrayal. However, two years later and dissolution was imminent, with the band claiming they no longer felt comfortable in the skin they had crafted.

The 22-20s are, quite probably, the greatest band to come out of Lincolnshire and it is with both eager anticipation and baited breath that four years since their split, they announce their absolution, ushering in the new decade with resolve and a second album.

As teenagers, guitarist and singer Martin Trimble, and bass player Glen Bartup, both from Sleaford, would play blues covers at venues across the width and breadth of Lincolnshire.

They recorded a four-track demo, featuring songs such as Devil In Me and Such A Fool, which would prove to be the blueprint for their eponymous, critically-acclaimed debut album.

It would be easy to regurgitate a number of rock-review cliches when reminiscing about the 22-20s, which is surely to the credit of their classic and timeless sound.

Faceless music hacks could probably fill glossy supplement pages with something along the lines of a blue-rock explosion, channelling the spirit of Robert Johnson, possessed by the devil at the crossroads to whom he sold his soul, turned on its head and distilled through Jack White’s MXR Mico-Amplifier with the distortion thrown into overdrive.

But that would be too easy.

The 22-20s managed to create a comfortable sound, built around the juxtaposition of natural-sounding riffs and an impulsive rhythm section, augmented by the increasingly impressive vocal range of Trimble.

The blues are dangerous, promiscuous, ambiguous and amongst everything else, hopeless. But now, thanks to the 22-20s, the blues are back.

In light of the return, the band have posted two new tracks: a live recording of Ocean, and a new track, under the title Latest Heartbreak.

To have a listen, visit their MySpace page at www.myspace.com/2220s