tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35661796476567803212024-03-19T01:47:39.628-07:00Blues EnthusedIain Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632802738054727809noreply@blogger.comBlogger675125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566179647656780321.post-46386583041707247872024-03-15T12:40:00.000-07:002024-03-16T04:42:33.254-07:00DeWolff, with Silveroller - Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh, 14 March 2024<span style="font-family: arial;">“In a statement tonight, the police have warned members of the public about an outbreak of flared trousers in the Edinburgh area. They say the issue seems to have been imported from the Netherlands by the Dutch rock group DeWolff, but has quickly spread to encompass the young British band Silveroller. More information will be available in due course.”<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhqwq_FNmyeCo5s2bvNjlQxrH0BwZOEWV_dQrCn0m_WKEE_SZqhYScxjHelxa1ynRoEetgIIJj7aW65u_dteh9mH8tyhpFaI0A1aTGMVrsIRTacBKDmxRdk2fq598d0bos6BVq2nI_lIUdfe2ROG1pVYgYbOQpExW7yVrlQhoQBdYwvRDPNHzekh_XN0/s3309/IMG_0931%20copy.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3309" data-original-width="2446" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhqwq_FNmyeCo5s2bvNjlQxrH0BwZOEWV_dQrCn0m_WKEE_SZqhYScxjHelxa1ynRoEetgIIJj7aW65u_dteh9mH8tyhpFaI0A1aTGMVrsIRTacBKDmxRdk2fq598d0bos6BVq2nI_lIUdfe2ROG1pVYgYbOQpExW7yVrlQhoQBdYwvRDPNHzekh_XN0/w301-h406/IMG_0931%20copy.jpeg" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crackerjack Pablo van de Poel</span></td></tr></tbody></table></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-GB">BLAM!<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">“Hello Edinburgh!”<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">BLAM!<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">“We are DeWolff, and we have come all the way here tonight to ask you something!”<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">BLAM!<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">“Are you ready to rock’n’roll?”<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">BLAM!<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">“Are you ready . . .<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">BLAM!<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">“ . . . for the <i>NIGHT TRAIN</i>?”<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">The roared response makes it clear that the healthy crowd here tonight – me included - are all on board the DeWolff musical locomotive, and ready for a magical mystery tour that smashes together blues-rock, super bad James Brown funk, gospel ecstacy, snippets of jazzy fusion, and sweet soul music.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">And so we’re all off on the ‘Night Train’, an original from their album <i><a href="http://www.bluesenthused.com/2023/01/dewolff-love-death-in-between.html" target="_blank">Love, Death & In Between</a> </i>mark you, and not a cover of the Godfather’s tune. And believe you me, the trio are kicking ass from the outset. Guitarist and singer Pablo van de Poel is a jack-in-the box front man, delivering some face melting guitar (well, it certainly looks like it’s melting his face), while his Robin Piso sets about wrenching the guts out of his Hammond organ, and younger brother Luka van de Poel is giving his drum kit a right-in-the-pocket hammering, and adding on-the-nose vocal harmonies on a regular basis.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">‘Heart Stopping Kinda Show’ lives up to its title, not least because it is a totally banging soul tune straight outta Memphis, though it’s also ramped up by a short and sharp blast of organ soloing and a screaming wah-wah solo from Pablo, who also embarks on a mid-song bout of infectiously <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWePMrDFKoyCp7c4E4L9uSWnTkjUFHOTtuzY4eBNePXYtK2SK-0UBG_jYoOu2aWJu1lBkK0w0NI3ZVdgSWmSFZIwQ4xge_wB5ZxDNBF2gpJ-qWNujdoms-pYpOFiTZgBM0K8I7ubCrAZ7eDX4j1V_qEBT5Att_h40kkl9YXPb_84OCtHhAlks_yVnKJLk/s3110/IMG_0927%20copy.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3110" data-original-width="2612" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWePMrDFKoyCp7c4E4L9uSWnTkjUFHOTtuzY4eBNePXYtK2SK-0UBG_jYoOu2aWJu1lBkK0w0NI3ZVdgSWmSFZIwQ4xge_wB5ZxDNBF2gpJ-qWNujdoms-pYpOFiTZgBM0K8I7ubCrAZ7eDX4j1V_qEBT5Att_h40kkl9YXPb_84OCtHhAlks_yVnKJLk/w291-h346/IMG_0927%20copy.jpeg" width="291" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Harmonious drummer Luka van de Poel</span></td></tr></tbody></table>hammy patter about how this is about more than the show they’re putting on, but about the choices we make that make life worth it – like coming out in the pouring rain on a Thursday night to see this gig. These guys don’t take themselves too seriously, as their very 70s embroidered brown outfits attest, all flares and aeroplane collars.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">They cool things things off with ‘Will O’The Wisp’, a chilled blues with filigrees of jazzy guitar and organ, and some falsetto soul vocals en route to a swirling organ interlude that’s not so much psychedelic as the Phantom of the Opera – and no, I don’t mean Iron Maiden, or Andrew Lloyd bleedin’ Webber either.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">‘Tired Of Loving You’ is a dynamic blues ballad that takes in a lengthy, now and then classically tinged guitar showcase until Pablo wigs out good and proper and they head down the highway propelled by a surge of hair-flailing organ that Brother Robin then dials down into a soul-classical mash-up en route to a bone-crunching finale.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">They take another detour with the 70s style funky blues rock of ‘Double Crossing Man’, before letting loose with a throbbing, gristly riff on ‘R U My Saviour?’. DeWolff don’t sound much, if anything like The Who, but on songs like this there’s a similar Pop Artiness sensibility in the electrified air I reckon – at least until they put the hammer down with a spell of hectic guitar/organ interplay. Does this sound a bit like those other Dutch masters Focus? Well yes, it does a bit. Just a little. Sorta.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">But before we have time to dwell on that they’re cueing up ‘Treasure City Moon Child’, with a<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4CORxe9-mutwN8hjCxmSHrWf4d5lBfrxWmvsY3JTNsENS0fiiXuYs7hMp_VDcOEjQLJtobXFT0J8YcRca3qvn_Rznq67unmZKoAuoLCm-IWJub2m8uSGj_frkQtb3f-s4jafZfcjttRAClfKPmdu-NAEWmnoIROf2BRzYyCCEZnpYL_FqZJFX87HBaUI/s3082/IMG_0932%20copy.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3033" data-original-width="3082" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4CORxe9-mutwN8hjCxmSHrWf4d5lBfrxWmvsY3JTNsENS0fiiXuYs7hMp_VDcOEjQLJtobXFT0J8YcRca3qvn_Rznq67unmZKoAuoLCm-IWJub2m8uSGj_frkQtb3f-s4jafZfcjttRAClfKPmdu-NAEWmnoIROf2BRzYyCCEZnpYL_FqZJFX87HBaUI/w338-h332/IMG_0932%20copy.jpeg" width="338" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Study in brown Robin Piso</span></td></tr></tbody></table> strutting start featuring some Santana-like guitar tones before it explodes into three-piece havoc of pummelling hard rock. There’s still light and shade though, including a scat singalong led by drummer Luka, a nod to Little Richard’s ‘Keep A’Knockin’’, and ultimately a scorching guitar/organ face-off before they take their leave.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">At this point it would be fair to say that DeWolff have gone down a storm with the assembled throng. Except they’re not done yet, oh no. For an encore they uncork a 20-plus minute version of their multi-section soul rock suite ‘Rosita’, into which they chuck the kitchen sink, the taps, and all the crockery within reach. There are swooning soul sounds, southern rock guitar inflections, Latino flavourings, and a whole of gospellation peaking in a hands in the air walkabout by Pablo, delivering a jittering testament to the “Mighty Power Of Love” (back in 2019 Pablo witnessed a sermon by the Rev Al Green in Memphis), all culminating in a manic, howling guitar promenade in which he stretches his corkscrew guitar to the limit. To encore with this magnum opus might seem like a daring, high risk gambit, but by the time they’re done there are Cheshire Cat grins all around the room.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Once upon a time there was an Aussie band called Mental As Anything. I can’t tell you a damn<br />thing about what they sounded like, but I can tell you that DeWolff deserve to inherit that mantle. In the best possible way.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkp1r3RwEKOmagf0z1RW2A5jyJfyDcVlaO2zWv8mePpbnKCCtBJx_prpWGjevGZoftl4W7XYWSDMLEnSE6GYVy3Q8nC63f03gNiKkk47rU3YmkP8rM_hF7hyiyY6XDMqRbaCC95SYQi7clfVdKnlaj6tdDNoOAYaSC_OjJLbjjIKJJ7ozF-cdL7Efl-oQ/s2683/IMG_0911%20copy.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2683" data-original-width="2562" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkp1r3RwEKOmagf0z1RW2A5jyJfyDcVlaO2zWv8mePpbnKCCtBJx_prpWGjevGZoftl4W7XYWSDMLEnSE6GYVy3Q8nC63f03gNiKkk47rU3YmkP8rM_hF7hyiyY6XDMqRbaCC95SYQi7clfVdKnlaj6tdDNoOAYaSC_OjJLbjjIKJJ7ozF-cdL7Efl-oQ/w379-h396/IMG_0911%20copy.jpeg" width="379" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jonnie Hudson struts his front man stuff</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Oh yeah, there was a support band too, by the way – and Silveroller garnered plenty of cheers for their half hour set. They serve up a meaty starter of British blues rock with opener ‘Black Crow’, featuring a taut riff, pistoning Hammond organ, and skelping drums. Then singer Jonnie Hodson whips out a harmonica for the bluesier rocking groove of ‘Trouble Follows Me’, with Aaron Keylock adding slippery slide to the crunching chords.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Hodson, with his shaggy hair, scarf and flares – I did warn you – is a strutting, mic-stand waving front man of the old school, to the point where I half-expect him to announce “’Ere’s a song for ya!”, but in a Scouse accent. The thing is, he carries this off effortlessly, and looks destined to play bigger stages.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">As do Silveroller as a whole, I should emphasise, as they deliver some mighty appealing material in fine style. ‘Ways Of Saying’ changes gear from a blue ballad intro into raucous rock’n’roll recalling the Faces, while ‘Other Side’ opens with gritty slide playing from Keylock and suggests Bad Company getting good and heavy, with bubbling bass from Jake James Cornes and whacking drums from Joe Major bringing a bucket of groove. There’s soulfulness in ‘Come On, Come In’, and Keylock weighs in with a properly blues-rocking solo. But they kick things up to another level with the crackling closer ‘Hold’ and its turbo-charged riffing, plus a wild organ solo from Ross Munro, who sounds like he’s passed a Diploma in Jon Lord-ism with flying colours.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Silveroller look and sound like the real deal to me. They’re bright and fun, and whatever their influences they still have their own sound, while Hodson and Keylock have a bit of a Glimmer Twins brothers-in-arms thing going on. Go see ‘em ASAP, and make up your own mind.</span></span></div>Iain Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632802738054727809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566179647656780321.post-53264255557697701752024-03-14T08:55:00.000-07:002024-03-14T09:19:06.702-07:00The Wicked Lo-Down - Out Of Line<div><span style="font-family: arial;">I’ll say this right out of the gate. The Wicked Lo-Down are not here to change your life. But they are here to show you a rabble-rousing damn good time. I mean shit, you’ve gotta love a band who take Britney Spears’ ‘Toxic’ and turn it into the kind of slurring, woozy, accusatory grind it was always meant to be. Yes, you read that right.<br /><span lang="EN-GB">The Wicked Lo-Down are based in New England, and to these ears their brand of Chicago blues is infused with a spirit similar to those other rock’n’rollin’ New Englanders the J.Geils Band, before they got all glossy with their 80s hit ‘Centerfold’. As soon as they get let off the leash here, with ‘Kill Me Or Keep Me’, we’re talking about harp-wailing, guitar-jangling chugga-boogie, with some ear-bending blues guitar to get you on the edge of your seat. And by the time you get<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJDyf9Dy81ThKMvMEIj87CTzBCrMpr755p9FJpatNyi_BEQYrql3PV9f84KGjKrv3IagLlVMkSxc_1ox3KWp-HLzaR4vxFJ_6AMYcIv2gSEjBmrQfMlji-gCeSFUxblkZaEO2oMJaVMJFtG_9OidIWIMXeUZMk_9zOP240j8PDdzULRtsPKMX2rBDhoA/s1210/paul-and-nick-8.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1210" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJDyf9Dy81ThKMvMEIj87CTzBCrMpr755p9FJpatNyi_BEQYrql3PV9f84KGjKrv3IagLlVMkSxc_1ox3KWp-HLzaR4vxFJ_6AMYcIv2gSEjBmrQfMlji-gCeSFUxblkZaEO2oMJaVMJFtG_9OidIWIMXeUZMk_9zOP240j8PDdzULRtsPKMX2rBDhoA/w500-h335/paul-and-nick-8.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Paul Size and Nick David get wicked</span></td></tr></tbody></table> to ‘Out Of Line’ itself, with its hard-charging, competing guitars over a crisp beat, your butt should be well and truly outta that seat. With a clever bridge that they let loose a couple of times just because – well, why not? – and a rollicking guitar solo from the guesting Mike Zito, it packs a fair amount of goodies into less than four minutes.<br /></span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">The tunes are good too.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEwKajzu2JY" target="_blank">‘Marchin’ On’</a> finds David squawking away enthusiastically that “Nobody gets out alive, keep marchin’ on” over churning guitar from Paul Size and his six-string buddy Jeff Berg, amid the emphatic, solid but swinging rhythm section of Brad Hallen on bass and drummer Nick Toscano - who also likes to give a cymbal a good whack on a regular basis. Meanwhile </span><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Action Woman’ is driving, pounding and urgent, with David making it damn clear he wants an “action woman, a satisfaction woman” as if when the Stones sang “I can’t get no satisfaction” they didn’t have a goddamn clue what desperation was.</span><br style="font-family: arial;" /><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-GB">Paul Size – where have I heard that name before? Oh yeah, he played with those cult blues heroes <a href="http://www.bluesenthused.com/2017/10/raw-power-red-devils-king-king.html" target="_blank">The Red Devils</a>. And so here we have <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzzFmHiA_7c" target="_blank">‘The Wildest One (Lester’s Boogie)’</a>, a fitting tribute to the Devils’ wild man singer and harp player Lester Butler. It’s nagging, insistent and raucous, with singer Nick David referencing Red Devils song titles in a bullet mic-distorted vocal, and blasting out a howling harp solo, natch.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">They dial things down in the middle, with the slow blues of ‘If I’, which has a touch of ‘I Put A Spell On You’ about it, but with a mood that’s guitar-twinkling lonesome rather than possessive. ‘Dime Store Darling’ is easy-going and melodic in a Dave Edmunds and Rockpile kinda way, with a nifty twiddly turnaround and a catchy as hell chorus. But the mid-paced ‘You Don’t Know Me’ is a slice of less juicy fat that could have been trimmed.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">They get back on track down the straight though. ‘Vanna Be’ is a sock-it-to-ya rock’n’rolling instrumental, with wasp-in-a-jar buzzing guitar from Size, and Hallen’s bass bopping like a noddy dog on speed. ‘Put Up With You’ is from a different bucket of blues, with its low-twanging guitar and pattering rhythm, while David groans away about having discovered that “I don’t have to put up with you” in dark and bitter tones that suggests you shouldn’t believe a word of it. Then closing track ‘I Just Can’t Make It’ is an affectionate slap around the chops to say good night - hard-riffing and slide-scything, over clattering drums and pneumatic drill bass.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">The Wicked Lo-Down sound like the house band in some club where the walls are sweating and you’re part of a well-oiled crowd that’s bouncing to some good rockin’ tonite. They may not be world-beaters, but you’re still going to pick up a copy of <i>Out Of Line</i> at the merch stall on the way out. Damn right you are.<br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><i><span lang="EN-GB">Out Of Line</span></i></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> is out now on Gulf Coast Records.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>Iain Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632802738054727809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566179647656780321.post-84489626825584631042024-03-12T08:22:00.000-07:002024-03-12T12:01:45.390-07:00AEGTESKAB - AEGTESKAB<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-GB">I don’t much like referring to PR bumf in reviews, but in this case it’s worth mentioning that AEGTESKAB, the trio of Danish musos Eddi Jarl (drums), Mike Andersen (guitar and vocals) and Michael Bilcher (sax and bass) apparently constitutes a “supergroup”. Well, maybe in Copenhagen, though I have to say I’ve never heard of any of ‘em. But here’s the thing – that’s all irrelevant. Quite simply, this is a remarkable album.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Opening track <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_s6bwcMpSQ" target="_blank">‘How Do You Do It’</a> combines tip-tapping drums and minimalist acoustic strumming, while Bilcher’s smouldering baritone sax drifts in and out of a motif before Andersen picks up with an immaculate, plaintive vocal on a simple, gorgeous melody. And then some luminous electric guitar falls out of the heavens, flickering and pulsing to add a whole other <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjC6SbkDqDPGDl-mavZoDMzlNKMurTQ-DYRQ6KtieZGEgXeR4ZrwiQEi-_ESjfo-563oBJ1HVQ5OV_Cvh_BUm8N-nj6i1uDPA2q2oWaHbsXOXBC2Xxhe0t3SQ9lm6u92kKSzqa6KSMVAx9xnu3vbhmdX1HSY5sMzKeYWb2hX9bjUFA3NcZe0L9eAs8bCU/s1024/table%20chat%20portrait%20rasmus%20bundgaard.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="1024" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjC6SbkDqDPGDl-mavZoDMzlNKMurTQ-DYRQ6KtieZGEgXeR4ZrwiQEi-_ESjfo-563oBJ1HVQ5OV_Cvh_BUm8N-nj6i1uDPA2q2oWaHbsXOXBC2Xxhe0t3SQ9lm6u92kKSzqa6KSMVAx9xnu3vbhmdX1HSY5sMzKeYWb2hX9bjUFA3NcZe0L9eAs8bCU/w635-h355/table%20chat%20portrait%20rasmus%20bundgaard.jpg" width="635" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mike Andersen, Eddi Jarl and Michael Blicher - a marvellous ménage à trois of talents<br /><div style="text-align: right;">Pic by Rasmus Bundgaard</div></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />dimension, while Jarl gradually shifts the percussion into more syncopated mode, quite possibly using a cajón. It really is something else – and they're only getting started.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">If I say that there are echoes of Sean Costello to tracks such as ‘My Long Time Lover’, ‘Out Of My Head’ and ‘Waste Of Time’, the thought is prompted mostly by the fact that vocally Andersen is frequently a dead ringer for Costello – though their blues and soul sensibilities are also worthy of the comparison, even if their sound is a world away in execution. ‘My Long Time Lover’ opens with a halting guitar refrain, and then ambles along at a mind-bogglingly slow tempo, with little going on beyond a simple beat, low moans of sax, and a wonderful, reflective vocal. Call it soul, call it blues, call it the Great American Songbook for all I care, it’s evocative stuff, suddenly illuminated by flutters of bluesy guitar, while Bilcher adds some singular sax playing. For me there’s a real vibe of Costello’s ‘Cuttin’ In’ to ‘Out Of My Head’, with its funereal beat, late night jazzy sax, and a perfectly pitched go-slow blues guitar solo by Andersen. And ‘Waste Of Time’, with its handclaps and sax intro, is soulful and swinging – once again, slowly. There’s tickling guitar over a skipping rhythm, and a bloody marvellous guitar break complemented by jittery, St Vitus Dance drums from Jarl.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">They explore some different avenues too though, as on the two minutes’ worth of twitchy modern soul on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm3WFcNab4M" target="_blank">‘Checking Out’</a>, with its sax riffing and a simple beat that lands in the perfect place and then trips itself up to create a groove, embellished by a bright, danceable instrumental section. ‘This Morning’ is spikier fare, with tense, ticking guitar and a doomy, kinda martial rhythm interrupted by chunky sax and guitar chords, while a grumpy Andersen agitatedly demands that “If you no longer love me, for god’s sage say it out loud,” before embarking on a squealing, discordant, but still restrained solo. (It’s worth knowing that “aegteskab” is Danish for “marriage”, and that, ironically, two of the three band members went through marriage break-ups around the time the trio came together.)<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">There are a couple of instrumentals in different styles too. ‘Laura Lee’ introduces curious synthy beeps’n’bleeps’n’beats, while Andersen lays out some fluid guitar that, with sazy echoes in the background, could be Mark Knopfler performing some ‘Private Investigations’, except, well, it isn’t. ‘Headlights’ is more moody, a sax-led jazzy affair with prickling guitar that doesn’t seem to have the resonance of other tunes – until 3 minutes in when it all goes a bit ‘In The Air Tonight’ with clanging chords and thunderous peals of drums.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">That slow and sensitive vibe is the backbone of the album though. ‘World Gone Wrong’ is sad and elegiac, with Andersen singing “Meet me there when we transcend this world gone wrong” in another perfectly pitched vocal, and Bilcher adds a contemplative, spaced out sax interlude. And album closer <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyBKfISSGmM" target="_blank">‘The Storm’</a> paints a picture in slow, slow, no quick slow fashion, with Andersen delivering a languorous, sparse guitar solo over rising drums to signal the impending storm, whether literal or emotional.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">So they may not really be a “supergroup”, but hell’s bells these guys are imaginative, distinctive, and seriously talented. And in <i>AEGTESKAB</i> they’ve produced a really, really good album. What more can I say? Go give it a spin and see what you make of it yourself.<br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><i><span lang="EN-GB">AEGTESKAB</span></i></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> is out now, and can be ordered <a href="https://michaelblicher.bandcamp.com/album/aegteskab" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>Iain Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632802738054727809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566179647656780321.post-85127247920910816562024-03-08T10:03:00.000-08:002024-03-18T11:45:39.921-07:00The Bonnevilles, with Mudlow - Legends, Edinburgh, 7 March 2024<div><span style="font-family: arial;">Lately I’ve been exploring some raunchy sounds and bands. Unadorned stuff. Retro stuff, some of it. The punk road less travelled, a bit. <i>Honest</i> kinda stuff. And when The Bonnevilles get on stage and crack into the plunging rhythm and ringing guitar of ‘Machine Born To Think’, those lines converge to a fiery point.<br /><span lang="EN-GB">They fairly thrash away at ‘Good Suits’, smashing Chris McMullan’s clattering drums into scything slide playing and distorted vocals from Andy McGibbon, who channels the tumult in kinetic style. Oh yeah, and I like his emphatic grunt of - “Wheugh!” - punctuation too.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_VMGM1V7WVzd-MHKk1PFIFxw9XasP0ScBxpRHI_9ChkSiZNfb_6Z-oEEB3fZ6uZLZShV26ncOjp79RKjOEg2hJyLaICwDAqND2ZZ8yHW0MSI1xxoTO81oxoQTC1vNaO_4HxbuL_8NW82fqAvEKElsR51uPOicnXjEapUrOQg4j_0FOJOn0Z-g0X5UMg/s4797/bonn%20duo%20andy%20bend.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3181" data-original-width="4797" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_VMGM1V7WVzd-MHKk1PFIFxw9XasP0ScBxpRHI_9ChkSiZNfb_6Z-oEEB3fZ6uZLZShV26ncOjp79RKjOEg2hJyLaICwDAqND2ZZ8yHW0MSI1xxoTO81oxoQTC1vNaO_4HxbuL_8NW82fqAvEKElsR51uPOicnXjEapUrOQg4j_0FOJOn0Z-g0X5UMg/w607-h401/bonn%20duo%20andy%20bend.jpg" width="607" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Bonnevilles - getting down to business and channelling the tumult</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />With their white shirts and black ties, top buttons undone and shirt sleeves rolled up above the elbow, they look like a couple of fellas ready to get down to business at a post-funeral booze-up, and there is indeed some very Irish to-ing and fro-ing banter between them now and then. But with a hard curfew of 10pm they’re not inclined to waste time.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">There’s more to them than just feral punkishness though, as ‘Long Runs The Fox’ demonstrates, with a strong, ear-catching tune driving through the maelstrom of stop-time riffing, swoops of slide guitar, and McGibbon’s hoarse, rat-a-tat vocals. They throw some different ingredients into the mix with the staccato riff and falsetto vocal of ‘Reflex Liar’, then ‘Dirty Photographs’ manages to bring some soul inflections to their garage rock sensibilities. On songs like these I hear a lot of early <a href="http://www.bluesenthused.com/2024/01/ten-top-tracks-from-black-keys.html" target="_blank">Black Keys</a> in their sandpaper-rough blues grooves, which is right up my street whatever their own direct influences may be.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">‘My Dark Heart’ is an upbeat, shake, rattle’n’shuffling animal, albeit with a downbeat bridge to add some dynamics. Then they unveil new song ‘Awaken From Slumber’ – “ripped off Scott H. Biram", McGibbon says. Biram’s name is only vaguely familiar to me, but given he’s known as an exponent of both punk and outlaw country, it’s maybe not surprising that ‘. . . Slumber’ sounds like nothing so much as a slice of galloping, hurtling Western swing in ragged, punkish garb. Their take on ‘Parchment Farm’, though, is a pummelling, driven thing that has more in common with the Blue Cheer version than Mose Allison, crashing its way down a rock’n’roll strewn canyon on the way to a coordinated assault of an ending.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">McGibbon introduces ‘Panakromatic’ as “Junior Kimbrough meets Flann O’Brien’s <i>The Third Policeman</i>” – a novel which is indeed, as he says, a bit like purgatory on acid. Well, the Junior Kimbrough vibe is certainly there in the repetitive, juddering riff – “Wheugh!” – which here gets <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU3GAu6ImppVUK45FDbNKdKFDJ6Jdrzkzqck6mLI2uuISPucpdpWZ1FoT4MFRutEbJr_qepu0Dqtt93pa54FxcuSpsvzx7BebkyqbNWyqfKaElQXCHJYIvZEeYktaijuuATbvfmwhMymWCV3feYRJkCgjKR3G60c4_1sCZIkkUX1GN4RQOzCDVreLOusY/s3941/mudlow%20bass%20guitar.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3063" data-original-width="3941" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU3GAu6ImppVUK45FDbNKdKFDJ6Jdrzkzqck6mLI2uuISPucpdpWZ1FoT4MFRutEbJr_qepu0Dqtt93pa54FxcuSpsvzx7BebkyqbNWyqfKaElQXCHJYIvZEeYktaijuuATbvfmwhMymWCV3feYRJkCgjKR3G60c4_1sCZIkkUX1GN4RQOzCDVreLOusY/w398-h309/mudlow%20bass%20guitar.jpg" width="398" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mudlow - groove-digging darkness</span></td></tr></tbody></table>extended into a scuzzily insistent groove, en route to the Diddley-esque rhythm of the set closer ‘10’000’, which is infectious enough to have a group of women start dancing. And who can blame ‘em? This lean, fighting fit set by The Bonnevilles is just what the doctor ordered.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Brighton trio Mudlow are a very good fit to partner The Bonnevilles on this tour, taking some similar influences and heading off at their own tangent with them. I arrive just as they're getting going with ‘Flesh And Blood’, which sounds like the moody overture to some Tom Waits jukebox musical, all brushed drums, rumbling bass and pinpricked guitar. But they pick up the pace a bit on ‘So Long Lee’, whipping it good while guitarist Tobias Tester, seated on his stool, blends picking and strumming in singular, plectrum-free style.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">They continue to mix up light and shade throughout their set, from the grinding, gutbucket boogie of ‘Codename Toad’, through ‘Drunken Turkey’ with maraca-infused drumming from Matt Latcham, spiky guitar, and comical turkey gobbling noises, to ‘Lower Than Mud’ with Tester’s growling, cackling vocal over a dirty, lipsmacking groove.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">‘Crackling’ is atmospheric and crepuscular over restrained snare drum tapping from Latcham, and ‘Red Ribbon’ is a very Waits-ian sleazy noir tale about getting shot in the stomach.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">They finish up with a medley of ‘Further Down The Road’ and ‘Red Rock’, centering on a blisteringly grimy solo from Tester over increasingly animated drums, while poker faced bassist Paul Pascoe gets down and gets with it like an agitated stick insect. Mudlow are never going to be big stars, but catch ‘em live if you can for a groove-digging, unsettling spin through the darkness on the edge of town.<br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">The Bonnevilles and Mudlow continue their Age Of Monsters tour until 17 March, details <a href="https://www.thebonnevilles.co.uk/shows" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></span></div>Iain Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632802738054727809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566179647656780321.post-39413578256052319022024-03-07T07:49:00.000-08:002024-03-18T13:30:38.803-07:00Bex Marshall - Fortuna<div><span style="font-family: arial;">A funny thing happened when I first came to listen to <i>Fortuna</i> – the running order of my download copy was all wrong. This, in fact, turned out to be a good thing, because it meant my first exposure to Bex Marshall was track 4 on her latest album, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zaS2G57VvI" target="_blank">‘5AM’</a>, an atmospheric blues ballad that she delivers with considerable style. Marshall may not be a singer in the class of her heroine Tina Turner, but she’s still expressive, and her smoky voice is perfect for the early hours heartbreak vibe of the song. And expressive is the right word for her guitar work too, from the subtle remarks that capture the mood with an undertow of organ colourings, to the fluid solo that she delivers with superb tone. Lovely stuff – albeit in the wrong place.<br /><span lang="EN-GB">In fact <i>Fortuna</i> is an emporium well-stocked with appealing goodies. Sassier fare comes along<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3NfxBjnX7NZ1po9qtEWiPUgt2LkM3Y3sTRl6Y0UEUCrwRm9NJdRO34w2wCjVLRvNejruqKs7Zf3X0gl78BuaVWFLELo0eg-lqr9Tu8QNydfW-C9Uu4GGabymQJBPmTzAcBAjGk87kkiD1I5jrCrXBxR9AVkDCP1FqghCFnJ4Kk-VnntS5puaTNTOoG6o/s3016/BEX%20MARSHALL%20CROUCH%20END%20BLACKHAM%20IMAGES%20DEC%2023-12%20copy.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2642" data-original-width="3016" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3NfxBjnX7NZ1po9qtEWiPUgt2LkM3Y3sTRl6Y0UEUCrwRm9NJdRO34w2wCjVLRvNejruqKs7Zf3X0gl78BuaVWFLELo0eg-lqr9Tu8QNydfW-C9Uu4GGabymQJBPmTzAcBAjGk87kkiD1I5jrCrXBxR9AVkDCP1FqghCFnJ4Kk-VnntS5puaTNTOoG6o/w447-h391/BEX%20MARSHALL%20CROUCH%20END%20BLACKHAM%20IMAGES%20DEC%2023-12%20copy.jpeg" width="447" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bex Marshall - here's looking at you, girl.<br /><div style="text-align: right;">Pic by Blackham Images</div></span></td></tr></tbody></table> in the form of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ2UJAXcWXU" target="_blank">‘I Can’t Look You In The Eye’</a> and ‘Lay Down N Die’, the former a bump’n’grind outing with some ear-catching interleaved guitar from Marshall on slide and the guesting Scott Coopwood, and the latter a grittily rocking tale of determination with a neat riff and a fizzing guitar solo to close.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">There are shades of Clapton in JJ Cale mode in a couple of places. Well, maybe. ‘Fortuna’ itself is a brisk instrumental that provides a showcase for some entertaining Texas bluesy guitar, with extra percussion and a couple of tumbling bridges adding to the fun. ‘Jungle’ is a bright and breezy shuffle, with a fun conversational vocal, jangling piano from Toby Baker, and some fittingly fun slide playing from Marshall. And the closing ‘When It’s Gone’ is similarly free’n’easy, acoustically based but with added Dobro seasoning courtesy of BJ Cole to go with some suitably Spring-like acoustic soloing from Marshall.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Other favourites include the ‘Dirty Water’, with its subtle organ and slinky vocal intro, progressing to nifty, tastefully toned guitar licks counterpointing Marshall’s occasionally quivering voice, and an easy groove to underpin some expressive – there’s that word again – soloing, with some congas from Danny Bryan adding a Latin flavour to the mix. ‘Scrapyard Dog’ may be a tad overlong, but it hits the mark too. It's a languid underdog tale, with a delightfully woozy guitar motif, a bundle of amusing lyrical metaphors, and a sparkling guitar solo.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">The opening ‘Preaching To The Choir’ is a grower, with a loose and lazy rhythm perked up by bubbling bass and a neat piano groove. ‘Table For One’ is a relaxed, but smart and saucy statement of intent from a woman who’s happy to dine alone - all wry lyrics, hip-swaying groove and rinky-dink ivories.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Now, I’m not saying you’ll get socked in the jaw by the brilliance of <i>Fortuna</i>. But I am very much saying that these songs are delivered not just with satisfying arrangements and musicianship, but with charm and a plenty engaging air of poise and balance, showing off all concerned in a good light, most certainly including Bex Marshall and her – yes, I’ll say it again - expressive singing and guitar work. Nicely played Bex.<br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><i>Fortuna</i> is available now on Dixiefrog Records, and can be ordered <a href="https://rocknhall.bandcamp.com/album/bex-marshall-fortuna" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></span></div>Iain Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632802738054727809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566179647656780321.post-20773893700030732462024-03-04T11:12:00.000-08:002024-03-04T11:12:20.331-08:00Quickies - Silveroller, Black Cat Bone, and Today Was Yesterday<span style="font-family: arial;">Okay readers, it’s time to catch up on three new releases in different flavours, ranging from British blues-rock to sleazy rock’n’roll to some new prog that features Alex Lifeson of Rush as a guest.<br /><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><b><span lang="EN-GB">Silveroller – At Dawn EP<br /></span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Well, this is fun. Old-fashioned kinda fun, sticking on Silveroller’s new 6-track EP and hearing echoes of British rock from the early Seventies reverberating down the ages.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">But Silveroller aren’t some bunch of greybeards who’ve assembled to churn out the same old same old. No, they’re a young, gallus five-piece doing their own thing and doing it in ear-catchingly good fashion. All the same, when they whack into 'Black Crow', with its stick-and-<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHtaX_h5Tw1iUXfUhszJdDawTWR6-_dsPvB2zNtP-VAx5MRbOoSrgLlXV-JTWRls23wdl_rJ8y_CAuxFozWEgRD_tBtsGqVhvXo-vxmy3_YLN77OAZ8y0t9-4254OZHiQ1c2-6o9jlCOat3YyvfZ78BcqXxLYS_fod_tdgS62BYK2uJNcxBQ7mDgTdOA/s4999/portrait%20copy.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4999" data-original-width="4484" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHtaX_h5Tw1iUXfUhszJdDawTWR6-_dsPvB2zNtP-VAx5MRbOoSrgLlXV-JTWRls23wdl_rJ8y_CAuxFozWEgRD_tBtsGqVhvXo-vxmy3_YLN77OAZ8y0t9-4254OZHiQ1c2-6o9jlCOat3YyvfZ78BcqXxLYS_fod_tdgS62BYK2uJNcxBQ7mDgTdOA/w381-h425/portrait%20copy.jpg" width="381" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Silveroller - cheer up lads!</span></td></tr></tbody></table>move riff and some blaring organ from Ross Munro, it feels like some Purple-ish musical paint has been splashed around.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">But they’re not copyists of anyone, as the following <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msLN4XxtPXw" target="_blank">‘Hold’</a> demonstrates, with its crisp drums and a gutsy, fuzzy riff that’s chased along by the organ, paving the way for the strong, confident vocals of Johnnie Hodson, which do plenty to establish their distinctive personality. Oh yeah, and a neat drop down into an organ break providing some light and shade then crashes into an all-action guitar solo from Aaron Keylock, a one-time youthful solo artist who sounds much more at home in this band setting.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">There are more dynamics evident in ‘Ways Of Saying’, which combines downbeat verses – nicely piano-dappled on the second time around - with a pounding chorus full of jabbing chords, and some fizzing guitar work. And by now another pleasing aspect of the Silveroller identity is coming over: they sound very British. They may listen to the Black Crowes, but when they do rootsy rock’n’roll of their own it leans towards Faces-like rough and tumble, underlined by some shoutalong backing vocals.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">They go up and down through the gears smoothly on ‘Turn To Gold’ with its sweetly melodic intro, satisfying harmonies, and rootsy guitar break en route to a dramatic crescendo on which Joe Major earns his drum-thrashing corn. Keylock shows off some buzzsaw slide guitar on ‘Other Side’, to go with a bustling riff and suspenseful Morse Code-like bridge, and another emphatic Hodson vocal. Then they close with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaVoac2b1l0" target="_blank">‘Come On, Come In’</a>, with a bluesy intro before some whacking guitar ramps it up into demi-epic mode. Keylock cracks out another impressive solo too, and the song glides soulfully to a close with an outro carrying echoes of Etta James and ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Fingers crossed that this first release doesn’t turn out to be a false dawn, because with quality writing, smart arrangements and bang-on delivery, Silveroller are mint-fresh and show bags of promise.</span></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The <i>At Dawn</i> EP is out now, and can be ordered <a href="https://silveroller.bandcamp.com/album/at-dawn" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><b><span lang="EN-GB">Black Cat Bone – Tales Of The Amplified<br /></span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Anyone who responded positively to previous examples of Black Cat Bone’s greasy, grungy rumble’n’roll is going to be happy with the likes of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXeQo1vGnqs" target="_blank">‘Shake It’</a> and ‘Freak Machine’ on their new album. The former kicks off with interstellar warbling noises, but with its grinding riff and Ewan Mackenna’s subterranean bass it’s definitely more to do with dark matter than starlight. The latter is is driven by rolling, thumping drums from Kai Wallace and ringing guitar from Jamie <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjcJMSP_KQne4WOA30m_XgxxmSMn_3Yrb2lJ8OCR9Uy28xZIcWaRf2bGzR8fJCSHB0n1S0eYf_ADdzaR6db6ImgvsJPy1Ro03FhYLEd1BBExKZyeqWzgnfYT7URVFdchyFfaRyR1AE4Kw3n-oJqtVl3y43xUZFgyR0jpRpdogD976pfl7epKKBBViIm0/s4305/EDITED%201%20copy.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3616" data-original-width="4305" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjcJMSP_KQne4WOA30m_XgxxmSMn_3Yrb2lJ8OCR9Uy28xZIcWaRf2bGzR8fJCSHB0n1S0eYf_ADdzaR6db6ImgvsJPy1Ro03FhYLEd1BBExKZyeqWzgnfYT7URVFdchyFfaRyR1AE4Kw3n-oJqtVl3y43xUZFgyR0jpRpdogD976pfl7epKKBBViIm0/w404-h339/EDITED%201%20copy.jpeg" width="404" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Black Cat Bone - they like it subterranean</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Beaton, and conjures up hints of the Yardbirds with its anthemic backing vocals and, after a breather in the middle, an explosive rave-up segment. And with its trampolining riff, interrupted by siren-like bursts of guitar and wails of harp, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PzARO0ojWU" target="_blank">‘Loose Juice’</a> is also emphatic fare, like roaring down the highway on the back of a Harley, until rather too soon it somewhat fizzles out.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">But there are outbreaks of subtlety evident elsewhere. The opening ‘Undertone’ opens with a piano refrain, courtesy of the guesting Andy Barbour, and if it develops into a mid-paced chug it’s still moody rather than turbo-charged, even though the guitar and Ross Craig’s harp get a bit anguished. But ‘Let It Breathe’ is even more startling, a long, romantic swoon of a song even with the grit of Craig’s croaking vocals. It’s not a one-off either, as ‘Pick Yourself Up’ is another slowie, a simple song with a dreamy, <i>Achtung Baby</i> vibe, right down to Craig’s aching voice.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">The closing combination of ‘Blue For You’ and ‘Whoa’ pull in different directions. ‘Blue For You’ starts off rootsy, with low key sprinkles of guitar over restrained drums, but then changes gear for the chorus thanks to some slamming guitar chords from Beaton. ‘Whoa’ is a trippier kinda animal, a hypnotic, fuzzy riff occasionally overlaid with slide guitar remarks, while Craig’s vocal is a moaning, mantra-like repetition of the title until the track slowly fades out.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">So yeah, BCB’s trademark grimy rock’n’roll is still the backbone of <i>Tales Of The Amplified</i>, but there are also some more mind-expanding explorations that go well with the Hipgnosis-like album cover. Still not music for meditation though!<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: x-small;"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Tales Of The Amplified</i> is available digitally now, and will be released on vinyl and CD on 5 April.</span><br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><b><span lang="EN-GB">Today Was Yesterday – Today Was Yesterday<br /></span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">American duo Ty Dennis and Angelo Barbera have served a fair bit of time as sidemen, often together, and have now combined on the prog-leaning project Today Was yesterday. To be honest though, my prime motivation for giving the album a listen is that six of the tracks feature Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson as a guest.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">And there is in fact, a hint of a late period Rush tinge to the opening track ‘GRACE’, with its booming, discordant chords bouncing all over the place, counterpointing some mandolin-like sounds. Angelo Barbera is a very different kinda vocalist to Geddy Lee though, echoing around <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SkAV5BrxRjQqJU7Qigunj13wHLdJS1YHx3HNFLIIzXvo-ow56e-lwg-mqAyZ7bAXIqO33k9DuYhaPO9PKz8TyoO-YvMLoDCiiQcKfVdmH06eQbr9a7Ie1UmPAXsmPc6vKutxb3q92qXiZzyngAFB5iixZ-Ni5voa3JgKH6xIeFVr6R6VjKz9rodm7V8/s2549/IMG_0178%20copy.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2549" data-original-width="2363" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SkAV5BrxRjQqJU7Qigunj13wHLdJS1YHx3HNFLIIzXvo-ow56e-lwg-mqAyZ7bAXIqO33k9DuYhaPO9PKz8TyoO-YvMLoDCiiQcKfVdmH06eQbr9a7Ie1UmPAXsmPc6vKutxb3q92qXiZzyngAFB5iixZ-Ni5voa3JgKH6xIeFVr6R6VjKz9rodm7V8/w363-h391/IMG_0178%20copy.jpeg" width="363" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Today Was Yesterday in arty camera angle incident</span></td></tr></tbody></table>in a lower register. The melody isn’t a killer, but the song maintains interest through the intricate riff and rhythms that swing into action three minutes in.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Lifeson’s handiwork is more obvious on ‘A Louder Silence’, as he adds squalls of guitar texture to the off-kilter rhythm and stuttering bass that form the foundation of the track, creating something that’s less song than sound picture, perhaps.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Tunes like ‘On My Own’ and ‘Faceless Faraway Song’ are suggestive of Peter Gabriel. The former is light and sweet, with sparse offbeat drums and scintillations of acoustic guitar. The latter is languid and downbeat, like swimming in a dark pool, with buzzes of guitar and distorted background vocals adding colour.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">A couple of guest-free tracks offer useful diversions. On <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WNlh8YWFA4&list=OLAK5uy_n-j5MtRLPpmu7iZilTHJERSkKZjFxK8Ts&index=4" target="_blank">‘I Take All’</a> Barbera’s twitchy bass combines in funk fusion fashion with Dennis’s drums amid some electropop-ish bleeps and squirls of synth, and Barbera chucks in a tasty guitar injection as well as a good old-fashioned organ break towards the fade-out. Meanwhile ‘Rukus’ edges into more modern prog stylings, à la Porcupine Tree maybe. There are some wonky synth notes, and snappy drums that certainly aren’t about dance grooves, then it shifts into a steadier trot to underpin bubbling bass and edgy guitar, creating an oddball atmosphere. Dunno what the muffled spoken word snippets are meant to add though.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Robby Krieger turns up to add a brief burst of low-slung, fuzzy guitar to the swooning ‘If I Fall (Silly Games)’, with its swooshing keys and halting drums, and to make some slower, sweeter-toned but off-kilter intrusions towards then end. The closing <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJZ58KgvVvY" target="_blank">‘My New Low’</a>, which has probably the best melody on the whole album, with Barbera’s yearning, occasionally double-tracked vocal living up to it, while Lifeson returns to the fray with a romantically styled guitar break that fades away to leave a quiet piano outro.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">It's evident from the execution that Dennis and Barbera know their onions as musicians, but the songs mostly fall a bit short in the hook department, and Barbera’s voice isn’t that arresting either. <i>Today Was Yesterday</i> is an interesting enough exercise, but not strong enough to warrant multiple listens.<br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><i><span lang="EN-GB">Today Was Yesterday</span></i><span lang="EN-GB"> is out now on Music Theories Recordings, and can be ordered <a href="https://lnk.to/todaywasyesterday?utm_source=New+UK+Online+Press&utm_campaign=4cd8cd6a07-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2021_08_02_02_24_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_917a05dfe6-4cd8cd6a07-297640396&mc_cid=4cd8cd6a07&mc_eid=71d93f429f" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></span></div>Iain Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632802738054727809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566179647656780321.post-3677118313632271392024-02-29T02:01:00.000-08:002024-03-05T03:39:06.538-08:00Ten Top Tracks from . . . Ian Siegal<div><span style="font-family: arial;">Roll up, roll up, for the second edition of Ten Top Tracks, a non-definitive, non-ranked overview of tunes by a Blues Enthused favourite – on this occasion the estimable roots troubadour Ian Siegal.<br /><span lang="EN-GB">Ordinarily I might go for a vaguely chronological selection of an artist’s material. But that ain’t so easy with Siegal, because you won’t find all of his output available on YouTube, my channel of choice for these here things. So we’re going to be ducking and diving a bit, alighting on <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBkhe_fqHEdS_fMwGwpJ0RtIdNoHXuGc91JbjDwam1hVMMuFIekxwa_5vO1Bb5LOt4TMQ4MUiw4ugsBt7qmiS_Dq1ssLB9onBTOwkxUlfdbCr2pOOLN-ANbYxhsoC22FGrfmpQpqsSHbMTwMQsIRPgLo6n_DDghRmu-E6UTtNqMfrIo72BS56fPdT1jCI/s3196/DSCN1207%20copy.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3035" data-original-width="3196" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBkhe_fqHEdS_fMwGwpJ0RtIdNoHXuGc91JbjDwam1hVMMuFIekxwa_5vO1Bb5LOt4TMQ4MUiw4ugsBt7qmiS_Dq1ssLB9onBTOwkxUlfdbCr2pOOLN-ANbYxhsoC22FGrfmpQpqsSHbMTwMQsIRPgLo6n_DDghRmu-E6UTtNqMfrIo72BS56fPdT1jCI/w421-h400/DSCN1207%20copy.jpg" width="421" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ian Siegal - sharp dressed man and guitar</span></td></tr></tbody></table>renditions of certain tracks whenever happens to be convenient. Watch out for the links to the various tracks on YouTube (or find the link to a playlist of all 10 at the bottom), and we’ll make a start with the first Ian Siegal album to cross my path – 2007’s <i><a href="http://www.bluesenthused.com/2019/02/walkin-blues-ian-siegals-swagger.html" target="_blank">Swagger</a></i>.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FnPpdXlTxE" target="_blank">‘Curses’</a> is a classic example of Ian Siegal’s love of word play – and his penchant for black humour. It trundles along like a cart on a backwoods track, with flutterings of piano and pluckings of banjo, fired up by sparks of slide guitar. Meanwhile Siegal delivers a spoken, <i>basso profundo</i> character assassination of some fella, that evolves into a wish list of inventive curses to be brought down on him. "May he dig up his own father by moonlight, and make soup from his bones,” he suggests before drily concluding “I just don’t like that guy”. There are several great songs I could have picked from <i>Swagger</i>, but ‘Curses’ demonstrates very nicely that Ian Siegal ain’t just a “my baby done left me” lyricist.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVTW7k-ymYU" target="_blank">‘Sugar Rush’</a>, from 2005’s <i>Meat And Potatoes</i>, finds Siegal getting down to business on a traditional brand of swingin’ R’n’B. There’s nothing complicated about it, but Siegal and his buddies Matt Schofield on guitar, Jonny Henderson on organ, Andy Graham on bass and Nikolaj Bjerre on drums, inhabit the rhythmic groove brilliantly, while his vocal delivery and phrasing is as expressive as you could wish for. Little wonder maybe, that he assembled the same gang to record <i>Swagger</i>.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Siegal likes to get around though, and at some point touched down in North Mississippi, which produced a series of collaborations starting with the 2011 album <i>The Skinny</i>, under the moniker of Ian Siegal and The Youngest Sons. The sons in question were the Dickinson brothers, Luther and Cody, of the North Mississippi Allstars, plus other North Mississippi Hill Country scions Garry Burnside and Robert Kimbrough. And <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VetT3CS4z20" target="_blank">‘The Skinny’</a> itself does hint at the deeper, more hypnotic grooves typical of the hill country - without becoming derivative - while Siegal stirs some serpentine slide guitar into the mix.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Siegal sometimes likes to stir up a dollop of funk though, of which <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S38KH8m6Smw&t=156s" target="_blank">‘Hard Pressed’</a> is a prime example. It first popped up on his 2009 album <i>Broadside,</i> surfaced again on his collaborative outing <i>Candy Store Kid</i> with the Mississippi Mudbloods, and has been a mainstay of his full band<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUyAeEqWV0BV64JLVPp08MbCYIirc5ENh-SlR3hri-XRv2m2AvYGcwnDm9IBZfpU4SBNEE91W5und12Y5Id3aj2GJb17DGeTif6BXTtCNaIaItBKFJQq3Y1Kng2Kg47ap3I-G_2sq0pIh7okI_lwtI9yhLQ0g62tNqmCMQbcB1UJ3vqNQyi6nk4bQwBk/s800/picnic%20sessions%20thumbnail.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUyAeEqWV0BV64JLVPp08MbCYIirc5ENh-SlR3hri-XRv2m2AvYGcwnDm9IBZfpU4SBNEE91W5und12Y5Id3aj2GJb17DGeTif6BXTtCNaIaItBKFJQq3Y1Kng2Kg47ap3I-G_2sq0pIh7okI_lwtI9yhLQ0g62tNqmCMQbcB1UJ3vqNQyi6nk4bQwBk/w303-h303/picnic%20sessions%20thumbnail.png" width="303" /></a></div> repertoire over the years. Here’s the classic version that was available as a bonus download with his live album <i><a href="http://www.bluesenthused.com/2015/03/ian-siegal-one-night-in-amsterdam.html" target="_blank">One Night In Amsterdam</a></i>, recorded with his long-time band (who perform on their own account as The Rhythm Chiefs).<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTUOaY1rkCA" target="_blank">‘Hard Times (Come Again No More)’</a> represents a different side of Siegal’s repertoire. He’s a regular “curator” of other people’s songs, of which this is a very old example, written by American folk composer Stephen Foster in 1855. Musically it may not be a blues song, but it’s absolutely one in spirit. Siegal often includes this in his solo acoustic shows, just “man and guitar” as one of his album titles has it. But this version is my favourite, from the acoustic album <i>The Picnic Sessions</i> that he recorded with the Dickinsons, Jimbo Mathus, and Alvin Youngblood Hart, and which I picked up when it was originally available at gigs in Britain when he toured as a duo with Mathus.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">As much as Siegal is a bluesman – and now and then he’s prone to deny it – he also has a soft spot for Americana, or country music if you prefer. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5jr_zD9xcA" target="_blank">‘Sweet Souvenir’</a> was co-written with Jimbo Mathus, and eventually cropped up on his 2018 full band album <i>All The Rage</i>. But it’s well suited to a solo acoustic treatment, and here he is giving it just that in a 2019 performance.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><i><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.bluesenthused.com/2018/03/ian-siegal-all-rage.html" target="_blank">All The Rage</a></span></i><span lang="EN-GB"> also found Siegal curling his lip at the state of the world on several tracks, and on the album cover too as if to underline the point. ‘Ain’t You Great’ is a patient tune, with some Hispanic leanings and guitarist Dusty Cigaar digging out some big twanging. But Siegal’s brooding vocal goes well with lines like “The asylum doors are open and we’re downupon our knees / They’ve found the biggest lunatics and handed them the keys”. Released in2018, mid-Trump presidency and in the face of post-Brexit vote wheeling and dealing, there was plenty going on to encourage Siegal’s acidic wordsmithing.<br /><o:p></o:p></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Faced with the lack of live work created by the Covid pandemic and associated lockdown, Siegal combined with a bundle of other musicians under the quirky banner Birdmens, remotely <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqBkrPPYC_EpeBDkSUZTszXn4wlQ_63zLLJltoOCxx6fePUvbd0ci8hKmKzn-2gdg9K_e-Ljf7ebTjaCMAjTCh0ci-3C_p_QluuFuno4iazH_Pny8KHs22jG3GB5aTDnN8TDJfR2mShv_2oikkfB0i97Ibon36VzZuUcxRDQ3aWL1Lsdg7h9myruAevg/s6720/IAN%20SIEGAL%20100%20CLUB-78.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4480" data-original-width="6720" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqBkrPPYC_EpeBDkSUZTszXn4wlQ_63zLLJltoOCxx6fePUvbd0ci8hKmKzn-2gdg9K_e-Ljf7ebTjaCMAjTCh0ci-3C_p_QluuFuno4iazH_Pny8KHs22jG3GB5aTDnN8TDJfR2mShv_2oikkfB0i97Ibon36VzZuUcxRDQ3aWL1Lsdg7h9myruAevg/w416-h277/IAN%20SIEGAL%20100%20CLUB-78.jpg" width="416" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Life is too short to smoke bad cigars.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">recording a one-off album titled <i><a href="http://www.bluesenthused.com/2020/05/birdsmen-lockdown-loaded.html" target="_blank">Lockdown Loaded</a></i> to try and keep the home fires burning, as it were. Given the circumstances, it’s a remarkably creative album, but one of the highlights is the back-to-basics blues stomp <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anXUNrM7_tM" target="_blank">‘Cat Drugged Up’</a>, with Siegal digging out his patented Howlin’ Wolf-esque growl.</div></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-US">On his most recent album, <i><a href="http://www.bluesenthused.com/2022/05/ian-siegal-stone-by-stone.html" target="_blank">Stone By Stone</a></i>, Siegal got together with Robin Davey and Greta Valenti of Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse, and managed to shake things up again, getting into a gospel/spiritual/work song groove on several tracks, interspersed with some seriously dark and downbeat Americana outings. But as an example of how to make roots music sound fresh I’d submit that the opening track, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlGUjw1XpX8" target="_blank">‘Working On A Building’</a>, is a masterclass. A work song sorta thing, given a loose and rhythmic treatment that sounds like a bunch of beer buddies having a good time, it’s irresistible. <br /></span><span lang="EN-US"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-US">Siegal loves a good story, methinks. So for the final slot in this selection I’m going for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5doBozjo8MA" target="_blank">‘Gallo Del Cielo’</a>, an atmospheric Mexicano-flavoured tale of a fighting rooster and his owner written by American songsmith Tom Russell. Siegal has been carting this pair of tragic heroes around in his set for years, whether he’s doing an acoustic set or playing with a band. Once again, it shows Siegal exploring a different vibe in evocative fashion.<br /></span><span lang="EN-US"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-US">Ian Siegal ain’t a predictable artist, trotting out the same sound year after year. He’s a great songwriter in his own right, but also a terrific interpreter of other people’s songs. And whether he’s serving up originals or covers, live or on record, you can bet he’ll deliver a characterful performance.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: x-small;">You can find a playlist of all 10 of the above tracks on the Blues Enthused YouTube channel, <a href="https://bit.ly/49DtviO" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: x-small;">Check out the <i>Gimme 5</i> feature with Ian Siegal, in which he shares some of his inspirations with Blues Enthused, <a href="http://www.bluesenthused.com/2022/07/gimme-5-one-and-only-ian-siegal-gives.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></div>Iain Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632802738054727809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566179647656780321.post-85312717192940654852024-02-23T09:38:00.000-08:002024-02-23T09:38:16.871-08:00Walter Trout - Broken<div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Broken</i> is Walter Trout’s 31<span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span> album. That’s a whole lotta guitar notes under the bridge. Now, I must admit that I’ve really only cottoned on to Walter in the last ten years or so, so I can’t really comment on the quality of all his stuff. But hell, he can still uncork some eye-popping tunes.<br /><span lang="EN-GB">Take ‘Courage In The Dark’, for example, the third track on <i>Broken</i>. It’s a moody blues, built around low key, hypnotic guitar notes and a hesitant beat, and it’s simple but utterly convincing. The lyric contemplates the fear of bad times, and the need for courage to get through them, and Trout delivers it with real sensitivity, while elevating the song and creating a light in the black by means of some wonderfully expressive guitar work.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQsAKpStHATaZKGDr91cRUYioxdKJ5gusIbjzyoC_TPHm4axIctA8xnAI6TbccVQxOGxr3tkSLwi_ZTrOCSbyIGLv8IqrmMJvH1NWIkHwFOvW55dITRW7kWgXKpDXC3STPLTNj4XdZlHc8rUXq62vyAucg37CIQSasKX0Fku-t-T9VayVNh9uigEr10Q/s6720/WalterTrout8594%20-%20Credit%20Leland%20Hayward.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4480" data-original-width="6720" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQsAKpStHATaZKGDr91cRUYioxdKJ5gusIbjzyoC_TPHm4axIctA8xnAI6TbccVQxOGxr3tkSLwi_ZTrOCSbyIGLv8IqrmMJvH1NWIkHwFOvW55dITRW7kWgXKpDXC3STPLTNj4XdZlHc8rUXq62vyAucg37CIQSasKX0Fku-t-T9VayVNh9uigEr10Q/w658-h438/WalterTrout8594%20-%20Credit%20Leland%20Hayward.jpg" width="658" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Walter Trout - out of the black, and into the blues<br /><div style="text-align: right;">Pic by Leland Howard</div></span></td></tr></tbody></table>So ‘Courage . . .’ ticks the “sophistication” box, and then the following <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyeGtect92c" target="_blank">‘Bleed’</a> confirms that ol’ Walter sure as hell still knows how to rock. A</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> song about the importance of stickability and going the extra mile in order to achieve success, i</span><span style="font-family: arial;">t's a</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> hard-hitting blast of raunch, with pulses of organ brightening Trout’s chugging, fuzzed-up guitar, interspersed with howls of harp from Will Wilde. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">And there’s a casual wit about Walter’s paternal nudge of “Play your harmonica, son” to Wilde before the latter lets loose on a skating solo.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-GB">At the other end of the album, the surging ‘Heaven Or Hell’ is given an original twist by the declamatory, spoken vocal with which Trout embodies the fiery preaching of a blind man he encountered on the street, complemented by a fizzing guitar solo and then an anthemic outro over Michael Leasure’s thumping drums. And the closing ‘Falls Apart’ offers something distinctive, with an epic vibe triggered by spangly guitar strumming and reverb-treated vocals. Trout has made a tongue-in-cheek comparison with Pink Floyd, but in truth this is always more unconstrained than the pink ‘uns would ever be, even with the embellishment of some stylish, wordlessly soaring harmonies. But there’s a still a dreamy quality as the refrain of “It falls apart” accompanies Trout’s piercing guitar through to the end.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">There’s plenty of solid interest in the middle of the album too, from the electric sitar propelling the melodic ‘Talkin’ To Myself’ to the quasi-talking blues of the loping ‘No Magic (on the street)’, on which it seems Trout has a bash on harmonica himself while reflecting on a lack of connection to the modern world. Meanwhile Dee Snider turns up to partner Trout on the snarling, out-and-out rocker ‘I’ve Had Enough’. Feel the electrical charge in the riffing folks, and if no-one’s around then let yourself go and bang that head!<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">There’s romance to be had in the instrumental ‘Love Of My Life’, with its string-like keys and liquid, sustain-heavy guitar work, and in the light-touch love song ‘I Wanna Stay’. And there’s wistfulness too, in the deliberately Faces-evocative ‘Breathe’.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">In fact the only songs that don’t hit the bullseye for me are the opening pair of ‘Broken’ and ‘Turn And Walk Away’, and with both it’s down to personal taste. Beth Hart guests on the subdued opener <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKXxImxkJjE" target="_blank">‘Broken’</a>, and promptly unwraps the heavy vibrato that always grates on me – she may have toned it down successfully on some recent outings, but sadly not here. The slowly revolving ‘Turn And Walk Away’ which follows is tidy enough, with a tasteful closing solo, but it’s essentially a cowboy-style blues, and a little of that goes an awful long way for me, pardner.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">But never mind my quibbles. <i>Broken</i> don't need fixin'. It's top drawer blues-rock, with several imaginative highlights along the way, and a reminder that at 72-years old Walter Trout is still cutting it, still as relevant as any of the young pups that garner all the hype.<br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Broken is released by Provogue Records on 1 March, and can be ordered <a href="https://lnk.to/WalterTrout?utm_source=New+UK+Online+Press&utm_campaign=7e2e82b93b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_11_11_12_08_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_917a05dfe6-7e2e82b93b-&mc_cid=7e2e82b93b&mc_eid=UNIQID" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></span></div>Iain Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632802738054727809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566179647656780321.post-2623488796160667292024-02-19T10:08:00.000-08:002024-02-26T05:47:40.681-08:00JJ Grey & Mofro - Olustee<div><span style="font-family: arial;">I’m all for artists stretching the envelope, throwing a curve ball, tossing something different into the mix, and JJ Grey & Mofro do a good job of that with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQjeOxzabtg" target="_blank">‘The Sea’</a>. Opening a blues’n’soul album like <i>Olustee</i> with a dreamy, piano-led reverie may be a surprise move, but when it’s as elegant and imaginative as this, featuring falsetto vocals from Grey, rippling acoustic guitar, and swatches of strings, it works just fine, thank you.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Mind you, my favourite track on the album is something from the other end of the spectrum. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaCRBkc-YXU" target="_blank">'Olustee'</a> is a tale of a wildfire that swept parts of Florida in 1998, and it captures the drama in some <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLqQ1YWt-u9PsWcxlWQIf1fkN14ZuFgmFjv-7FFKe_f3lUwqGrD9BKgMl8ZbhKVU6S-k0Onn-3TJaWFcor2g2f8uGJORtDzrC1-lqBvA_8BVQ1tVwE1YKGTikBnSVrIRLqZO8IMKoClzaU8sm9v0lqMIoWpJD3tHywiQP7oJ57z_n71d7ExTM0uT46AA/s4011/JJGrey_MAIN_bySteveRapport.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2924" data-original-width="4011" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLqQ1YWt-u9PsWcxlWQIf1fkN14ZuFgmFjv-7FFKe_f3lUwqGrD9BKgMl8ZbhKVU6S-k0Onn-3TJaWFcor2g2f8uGJORtDzrC1-lqBvA_8BVQ1tVwE1YKGTikBnSVrIRLqZO8IMKoClzaU8sm9v0lqMIoWpJD3tHywiQP7oJ57z_n71d7ExTM0uT46AA/w482-h351/JJGrey_MAIN_bySteveRapport.jpg" width="482" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">JJ Grey, <i>sans</i> Mofro<br /><div style="text-align: right;">Pic by Steve Rapport</div></span></td></tr></tbody></table>style. It’s urgent and gutsy, bristling with a stiletto sharp guitar riff, throbbing bass, and squeals of harp, topped off with some fiery, attention-grabbing guitar showcase from (I’m guessing) Pete Winders that does the story justice.<br /><span lang="EN-GB">There are several more songs in low key styles, which work to varying degrees. ‘Waiting’ is a soul ballad about the frustration that comes with not giving it your all in life – which is ironic when Grey’s vocal impresses big time with its passion and personality. The closing ‘Deeper Than Belief’ is another success, a solemn meditation on “all space and time and thought and mind” that references a Zen saying about “chopping wood, carrying water all day” – miracles being grounded in everyday life. Whether the lyrics really make their point is up for discussion, but the subtle colourings from piano and flute, and the strings that arrive to provide extra elevation, all hit the mark. Adding three more downbeat tunes seems excessive though, especially when neither ‘On A Breeze’ nor ‘Starry Night’ really do enough to stand out. And while ‘Seminole Wind’ is better, with its slow-slow-quick-quick-slow melody and a tasteful, low-moaning trumpet solo, I’m still not sure it’s worth six minutes plus.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Upbeat soul songs like ‘Top Of The World’ (not the old blues classic) and ‘Wonderland’ are pleasing enough without being head-turning. ‘Free High’ is in a similar vein, with a funky Memphis vibe à la Otis Redding, and if it’s nothing mould-breaking or profound it still gets a satisfying groove on, punctuated by some punchy horns. But <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zespRFQP-04" target="_blank">‘Rooster’</a>, a slice of low-slung funk with ticking guitar, stuttering bass, cool semi-spoken delivery from Grey, and sassy female backing vocals, is more focused and convincing.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">When <i>Olustee</i> is good, it’s very good. Several songs are deserving of high marks, no question. But some tracks are merely middling, and for me the balance of the material leans too heavily towards the reflective. A bit less navel-gazing and a bit more wildfire would have been welcome.<br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><i>Olustee</i> is released on 23 February by Alligator Records.</span></span></span></div>Iain Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632802738054727809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566179647656780321.post-47187368046838830582024-02-17T03:39:00.000-08:002024-02-24T03:47:31.909-08:00Philip Sayce - The Wolves Are Coming<span style="font-family: arial;">If you’re someone who judges the quality of a guitar player based on the key metrics of: 1) the speed at which they can pick dem strings; and 2), the level of, shall we say, Hendrixity in their style, then I’d say Philip Sayce is going to be near the top of your league table.<br /><span lang="EN-GB">As evidence of the former, I submit <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TP68j2VzHpk" target="_blank">‘Backstabber’</a>, a track with a sledgehammer riff and cacophonous guitar sound, reinforced by seismic drums from Michael Leasure, on which Sayce delivers a guitar solo of blistering velocity – before the whole damn thing goes further into overdrive for a short'n'sharp finale like a goddamn drag race.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxBX2HMf-pDbyOI1unBOLJKBa0g3bOzKuKPTMhKClUWXEyj4g3Qu077erNBId-d0k0oEUftNg0zPhsPdQVZfOK0Z2SzuvKGeapLm-BW42CFqTwFfxonIKpgv9L_FW_Gdv6r-798GwkzZpwu8KCM6R9RS9BQCtu3T25wu4Efw6K6qiAiKgwroWSwvqSrEQ/s1290/Philip%20Sayce_Amp%20Photograpy%20(12a).jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="860" data-original-width="1290" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxBX2HMf-pDbyOI1unBOLJKBa0g3bOzKuKPTMhKClUWXEyj4g3Qu077erNBId-d0k0oEUftNg0zPhsPdQVZfOK0Z2SzuvKGeapLm-BW42CFqTwFfxonIKpgv9L_FW_Gdv6r-798GwkzZpwu8KCM6R9RS9BQCtu3T25wu4Efw6K6qiAiKgwroWSwvqSrEQ/w489-h325/Philip%20Sayce_Amp%20Photograpy%20(12a).jpg" width="489" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Play that funky rock music, Philip!<br /><div style="text-align: right;">Pic by Amp Photography</div></span></td></tr></tbody></table>As for metric 2, I draw your attention to ‘The Moon Is Full’, an Albert Collins tune that Sayce gives the full Jimi treatment, with rhythmic, funky, choppy, wah-wah inflected riffing, and a solo you could visualise Hendrix delivering on some black and white Sixties TV show. I mean, I know Sweet Fanny Adams about guitar effects, but I gather Sayce’s pedal board features a few gizmos symptomatic of the classic Jimi sound, and by the sound of <i>The Wolves Are Coming</i> he makes plenty use of ‘em. Check out, for example, ‘Your Love’, which starts with some Vocoder-ish guitar articulation and ends with a solo encoded in intergalactically “wobbly” tones, all bracketing a mid-paced, lop-sided kinda groove enhanced by some guitar/vocal harmonising.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Which is not to suggest that Sayce is a one-trick pony. Sure, Hendrix played funky, but <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cH7EFEbfEE" target="_blank">‘Lady Love Divine’</a> squelches and bumps along happily in a vein more suggestive of Stevie Wonder à la ‘Superstition’. Although, to be fair, near the end it deploys a very ‘Hey Joe’-like staircase-descending riff to good effect. Meanwhile ‘It’s Over Now’ is a melodic ballad that kicks off with a hazy guitar sound, builds to a soulful, quasi-anthemic chorus, and features a gentle, bluesier guitar solo. And ‘Blackbirds Fly Alone’ combines acoustic strumming, some more brittle guitar tone, and swirling, phased vocals. There’s a nice bit of dynamics, dropping down for Sayce to solo, and if he then gets his wail on for the conclusion, it’s without going OTT.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Opening track ‘Oh! That Bitches Brew’ sets out Sayce’s stall, with a distorted, push’n’pull guitar riff and distorted vocals too for good measure. It’s driven along by pounding drums from Leasure, who is well suited to this kind of <i>modus operandi</i>, before some descending chords herald a yowling guitar solo, interrupted by a neo-psychedelic, “merman I shall turn to be” type interlude. But Sayce’s ability to get heavy with some different engine components is demonstrated later by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewhO3N_Sxq4" target="_blank">‘Black Moon’</a>, which is propelled by a boom-da-da-boom glam rock stomp suggestive of The Black Keys in <i>El Camino</i> mode, with well and truly fuzzed up guitar chording for good measure, complemented by an off the wall tone that produces an acupuncture-by-guitar Sayce solo.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">The closing coupla tracks offer contrasting moods. The instrumental ‘Intuition’ starts off mellow, all moonbeams and starlight embellished by keyboard flavourings from Fred Mandel, then it steps into a grinding riff, full of foreboding, as the backdrop to some no-holds-barred guitar acrobatics that reach a whooshing conclusion. Then the closing ‘This Is Hip’ is a perky, relaxed little blues, penned by John Lee Hooker but not in his typical brooding mood. Instead it’s all easy acoustic guitar and rippling piano, and might have been better positioned as a mid-album palate cleanser, but it still makes for a breezy finish<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">In the midst of all the guitar wrangling Sayce is actually a pretty good singer, by the by. But then, y’know, singing and lyrics probably aren’t what Philip Sayce fans will be shelling out for <i>The Wolves Are Coming</i>. They’ll be holding their breath waiting for some kitchen sink guitar work driven by metrics 1] and 2] above. And they won’t be disappointed.<br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><i><span lang="EN-GB">The Wolves Are Coming</span></i></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> is released on 23 February, and can be ordered <a href="https://fortybelow.ffm.to/sayce-thewolvesarecoming" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><o:p></o:p></span>Iain Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632802738054727809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566179647656780321.post-70534570518431998922024-02-12T07:44:00.000-08:002024-02-15T03:17:11.897-08:00Mike Zito - Life Is Hard<div><span style="font-family: arial;">Track four on <i>Life Is Hard</i> gets right to the heart of the matter. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqpXJhtQjho" target="_blank">‘Forever My Love’</a> is a song that Mike Zito wrote for his wife Laura several months before she finally succumbed to cancer. It’s a personal and passionate blues ballad, a soulful affair on which Zito delivers a soaring, heartfelt vocal. A simple song at heart, it’s beautifully arranged, with subtle French horn contributions and some transcendent Zito guitar, and boy does it have emotional impact.<br /><span lang="EN-GB">The moods of the songs on <i>Life Is Hard</i> may vary – they’re not all as emotive as ‘Forever My Love’. But in essence this album is a memorial to Laura Zito, a concept the couple agreed on before she died, on which Zito undertook to open his heart through the blues. It’s a catharsis, if you will. And holy moly but it delivers.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcK8GlocEmGyX5ZQsUTcBrsF0PYYQ1AWdNFiH3ZCzKhiK0TYAYZJo5RsqX4N_p_FW-yfeLTzftX281513wmDLkgwKnGJT0yOoAhzuo-Mma_bfZ-61UFS5LdehdIWHZGBZdjzH6ZJ518RvJIji7wmg4SI7dMicUUtmt0fKNybf0pt7J1MqjPcwgtnMWZTc/s2047/Mike%20Zito%20Press%20Photo.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2047" height="441" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcK8GlocEmGyX5ZQsUTcBrsF0PYYQ1AWdNFiH3ZCzKhiK0TYAYZJo5RsqX4N_p_FW-yfeLTzftX281513wmDLkgwKnGJT0yOoAhzuo-Mma_bfZ-61UFS5LdehdIWHZGBZdjzH6ZJ518RvJIji7wmg4SI7dMicUUtmt0fKNybf0pt7J1MqjPcwgtnMWZTc/w663-h441/Mike%20Zito%20Press%20Photo.jpg" width="663" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mike Zito - finding a light in the black</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />If ‘Forever My Love’ is a keynote track, ‘These Eyes’ is another. A heightened, deepened overhaul of a 1969 song by The Guess Who, it’s a wonderful, soul excursion fit to compete with anything on Springsteen’s <i>Only The Strong Survive</i> album, and then some. Over a patient beat, washes of organ, moans from those French horns, and marvellously Motown-ish harmonies from Jade Macrae and Danielle Deandrea set the tone for Zito to take the spotlight. It’s sweet and dreamy, but never saccharine, and is set off by some gorgeous, FX-treated guitar.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">The album gets under way with something less intense, mind you, with the vibrant, funky boogie of ‘Lonely Man’, a Little Milton tune that’s upbeat in spite of its protagonist’s tears, and which features a lush organ solo from Reese Wynans and a zinging Zito guitar break. The lazy swing of ‘Have A Talk With God’ is a similarly easy-going, with breezy backing vocals and guitar soloing, and if I don’t really go with the lyrical sentiment that’s just me; given Mike Zito’s status as an alcoholic in recovery – a process in which his wife was pivotal – it’s a philosophy he’s entitled to follow. Meanwhile ‘No One To Talk To (But The Blues) provides some different light relief, of a rock’n’rolling, Texas blues kinda variety, more muscular and immediate than the 2019 reading by Jimmie Vaughan.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">But this album ain't titled <i>Life Is Hard</i> for nuthin', and the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrZOxlgHTTc">title track</a> is the first to look into the void. Another blues ballad, it comes with more soul-drenched organ from Wynans, while Zito is absolutely in the zone both vocally and on guitar, as he laments that “I can’t count the tears I’ve cried, ‘cause life is hard, and then you die.” ‘Darkness’ is more solemn yet, a solemn blues over a dragging beat that shifts in tone from sparse to epic, Zito’s guitar swirling and darting around like a kite in the wind. And at the very end there comes the stark ‘Death Don’t Have No Mercy’, which starts with Zito singing alone, unaccompanied and staring death squarely in the eye. Gradually the voices of Steve Ray Ladson, Macrae and Deandrea arrive to add an even deeper moaning-the-blues vibe, and then the song swells further, spooky guitar notes evolving into a writhing <i>danse macabre</i> until it comes to a sudden stop.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">There are some other flavours along the way, like the tough and fuzzy ‘Dying To Do Wrong’, with its grinding riff and eerie middle section with washes of organ and sparse, reverb-inflected guitar notes. And the cover of Walter Trout’s ‘Nobody Moves Like Me You Do’ is a strident declaration of love in a gritty blues-rock vein, with a ‘Mistreated’-like riff and a wiry guitar solo.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><i>Life Is Hard</i> was co-produced by Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith, and credit to them for capturing Mike Zito’s vision to life with a perfect sound palette, while the assembled musos all contribute to a marvellous ensemble effort. But it’s always Mike Zito who is in the spotlight, as singer, guitarist and interpreter. God knows how he pulled his off, with the emotional baggage he must have been carrying, but he did. <i>Life Is Hard</i> is an open-hearted blues triumph.<br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><i>Life Is Hard</i> is released by Gulf Coast Records on 23 February, and can be ordered <a href=" https://linktr.ee/MikeZito" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></span></div>Iain Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632802738054727809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566179647656780321.post-76645054083299021002024-02-05T09:09:00.000-08:002024-02-05T09:24:35.410-08:00Jack J Hutchinson - Battles<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-GB">It’s time for one of our periodic expeditions into the Valley of Hard Rock, folks, where today we will explore <i>Battles</i>, the new album by Jack J Hutchinson. Now, our Jack’s name is often associated with blues-rock, but on <i>Battles</i> he generally steers away from that kind of sound. Instead Mr Hutchinson has mounted an earth-mover, and dug up a few mighty, mighty riffs for your consideration.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Opening track ‘Constellations’ is a case in point, serious head banging stuff with a crunch-and-twirl riff that, like one or two other outings here, puts me in mind of Dio-era Sabbath. Which is ironic, because Hutchinson’s voice is of a distinctly more Ozzy-like timbre – though better, because less whiny, and benefitting here and elsewhere from some judicious double-tracking<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Qv74KkyrnM2bqrm_b-pNZL22sdpqqAZMnW-mTGbKw8VGq73tIhePW0WSy7BP_fPTn9Wx8T1wFB1Yyusk1KRuc0NCnKQhwGJfAeGUFPwXY5ry-za-wlm9y7IofGdPNIBQ5b7clUx1VaD6mz533krZV_ExHgEplZDpzr4ipXc9Fa01p2bcoVmq2F05IRw/s3462/Rob_Blackham_089505%20copy.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2977" data-original-width="3462" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Qv74KkyrnM2bqrm_b-pNZL22sdpqqAZMnW-mTGbKw8VGq73tIhePW0WSy7BP_fPTn9Wx8T1wFB1Yyusk1KRuc0NCnKQhwGJfAeGUFPwXY5ry-za-wlm9y7IofGdPNIBQ5b7clUx1VaD6mz533krZV_ExHgEplZDpzr4ipXc9Fa01p2bcoVmq2F05IRw/w473-h406/Rob_Blackham_089505%20copy.jpeg" width="473" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jack J Hutchinson - think he needs the decorators in<br /><div style="text-align: right;">Pic by Rob Blackham</div></span></td></tr></tbody></table> which rounds it out. Oh yeah, and there’s a tyre-squealing wah-wah solo that very much fits the bill too.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ecuYEBEsN8" target="_blank">‘Bullets’</a> is another hard-charging affair, steaming along like a locomotive powered by Phil Wilson’s drums and Charlie Rachael Kay’s bass, and with some interesting “stings” of guitar giving a pleasing twist to the riff towards its conclusion. There’s a Diamond Head-like intensity to ‘Rip It Up’, with its guttural-meets-spiky riffage, a melodic chorus concluding that “The reflection that you see is love not hate”, and a guitar break that’s short’n’sharp. And there are two more out and out rockers with ‘Don’t Let the Fuckers Get You Down’ and ‘Overdrive’. The former is all whirling, spiralling guitar punctuated with cowbell to go with Wilson’s wrecking ball kick drum, before it hits the accelerator for a turbo-charged solo over a storming backdrop that ultimately crashes into a bundle of ringing, semi-discordant power chords. Hutchinson has suggested the riff to ‘Overdrive’ carries echoes of Metallica, and he may well be right. Not being an aficionado of the Sandman chaps, I’ll just say that its simple, chugging groove has plenty of oomph, the bass and drums locked in tight. But there’s a decent tune in there too, and Hutchinson adds satisfactorily wailing wah-wah commentary too.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">It's not all heads down, no nonsense stuff though, as Hutchinson throttles back a tad for the moodier <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQwTpPpqtKA" target="_blank">‘Days Are Gone’</a> and lurching ‘Running On Empty’. Then three tracks are even more diverse.‘Road To Hell’ goes for a slower, widescreen Western kinda vibe about a man who has “one hand on the bottle, one foot in the grave”, which is a bit hackneyed for my taste even though it’s done nicely enough, with more of a keening, reverb-treated vocal. ‘Love Is The Law’ is also toned down, and more soulful, with good harmonies layering a lush, appealing chorus, and a subtle solo over fuzzy guitar chords. And ‘Stay With Me’ is a properly sensitive ballad, opening with twinkling guitar and solemn vocals from Hutchinson, ahead of an aching, harmony-embellished chorus, adding up to an impressive slice of radio-friendly melodic rock that Def Leppard would be happy with.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Hats off to producer Josiah J Manning, who has worked with a host of British acts including the <a href="http://www.bluesenthused.com/2018/04/kris-barras-band-divine-and-dirty.html">Kris Barras Band</a> and <a href="http://www.bluesenthused.com/2019/01/wille-bandits-paths.html" target="_blank">Wille & The Bandits</a>, and does a sterling job here, co-writing the material and capturing the heavy stuff with a diamond-hard edge, and also buffing up Hutchinson’s vocals to a fine lustre.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><i>Battles</i> isn't what you'd call a revolutionary recording. But it is a well-conceived, clearly executed piece of handiwork on Jack J Hutchinson’s part. The arrangements are short and to the point, and there are no extraneous tracks to dull the senses. So, if you’re ready to rock, dive in!<br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><i>Battles</i> is released on 9 February, and can be ordered <a href="https://eyesoremerch.com/bands/j/jack-j-hutchinson/?fbclid=IwAR3RmbFMl0l57jEaqr7wWFUR7gwixi7Hm5jCKql4iJzmTPn4aDs888NgavU" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></div>Iain Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632802738054727809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566179647656780321.post-14818245528228750652024-01-31T11:00:00.000-08:002024-03-06T09:01:33.709-08:00Ten Top Tracks from . . . The Black Keys<span style="font-family: arial;">Welcome to the first outing of a new Blues Enthused feature. Note the wording in the title though. This ain't no ‘Top 10’, ‘Best Of’, or league table of tunes. It’s a vaguely chronological overview, a gateway to the Black Keys’ canon if you like, and if I were to compile it next week I might well choose 10 different tracks. And the first subjects for the Ten Top Tracks series are The Black<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-g_bOn_UBkx_rthWwW2t_3Cqw5UQ1RQoMDqzSqQYe4ka7V8dbycO5CgLC1JLyD-K2SMAn3eLQAt35gAg4VqQPaknpjothntsqEBMztMmE_ogRBvCUqpk27mYEVB5nB9VNFydOi5nfJcHmOi8HR4VMy7LIS0MaiZc32L7ENjOHRHLFR0LxrH0ZTWlmss/s2797/the_black_keys-portrait.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="2797" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-g_bOn_UBkx_rthWwW2t_3Cqw5UQ1RQoMDqzSqQYe4ka7V8dbycO5CgLC1JLyD-K2SMAn3eLQAt35gAg4VqQPaknpjothntsqEBMztMmE_ogRBvCUqpk27mYEVB5nB9VNFydOi5nfJcHmOi8HR4VMy7LIS0MaiZc32L7ENjOHRHLFR0LxrH0ZTWlmss/w443-h333/the_black_keys-portrait.jpg" width="443" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The happy-go-lucky Black Keys</span></td></tr></tbody></table> Keys because they are, as I’ve suggested before, pretty much where my rediscovery of blues music began. All clear? Then pay attention to the links below if you want to listen to a particular track, and let’s rock!<br /><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6oIlUAhpGE" target="_blank">‘I’ll Be Your Man’</a> from <i>The Big Come Up </i>(2002): I remember reading an interview in which drummer Pat Carney said that when they got together all his buddy Dan Auerbach really listened to was “fucked up blues”, and this original track epitomises the raw, crackling, don’t-give-a-shit quality of their debut album – that last quality underlined by the very, er, quirky closing “song” ‘240 Years Before Your Time’. The Akron drums’n’guitar duo throw a few impressive covers into the mix, including a pretty heavy take on the old blues classic ‘Leavin’ Trunk’, but their originals announce their arrival with a sackful of personality. <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB2mLX-TCb8" target="_blank">‘have love, will travel’</a> from <i>thickfreakness </i>(2003): Auerbach and Carney eschewed capitals for the song titles on their second album, but if anything it should be titled <i><b>THICKFREAKNESS</b></i> to reflect the mountainous sound the duo generated. It’s one of my favourite Black Keys albums, partly because of that sound, and also because it’s stuffed with so many good tunes. But from the various potential picks I’ve gone for this belting cover of a garage rock classic previously best known for the 1965 version by The Sonics. Worth knowing though, that it was written by<br />one Richard Berry, who also penned ‘Louie Louie’, and though both these classics were popularised by white kids (The Kingsmen in the latter case), Berry was a black doo-wop and R’n’B artist.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6JXD_5Yzqo" target="_blank">‘Just Couldn’t Tie Me Down’</a> from <i>Rubber Factory </i>(2004): The Black Keys continued to mine their productive early seam of punk-ish blues on their third album, which was recorded in – guess what? – a disused rubber factory. This irresistible original epitomises the strengths in their early sound, with walloping drums from Carney, a humdinger of a choppy riff and ear-<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLW-ZNz1NA6pmT8nfCJnqYN02ebC9yeDweJyMJwsBkFU9nHXSIIz14owxeM2r6oTrS9SGI7SaYMn-m-hGSnxDAkgCK0I2eze53RWcQoTB7lZqg20EIYtWT41Ut84qccbWkJzSUauFs6HePkjo7byYJBfjqBjPzbo5Rnh1UaOzRalx83Bc3-PWl9FXoFA4/s436/thickfreakness%20thumbnail.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="425" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLW-ZNz1NA6pmT8nfCJnqYN02ebC9yeDweJyMJwsBkFU9nHXSIIz14owxeM2r6oTrS9SGI7SaYMn-m-hGSnxDAkgCK0I2eze53RWcQoTB7lZqg20EIYtWT41Ut84qccbWkJzSUauFs6HePkjo7byYJBfjqBjPzbo5Rnh1UaOzRalx83Bc3-PWl9FXoFA4/w282-h289/thickfreakness%20thumbnail.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>curdling slide guitar from Auerbach, and a seriously catchy melody. Shake those hips people – you know you want to!<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdBU9Ah4qd4" target="_blank">‘Psychotic Girl’</a> from <i>Attack & Release </i>(2008): <i>A&R</i> shows the first clear signs of the Keys spreading their sonic wings with the aid of new producer Danger Mouse (aka Brian Burton), who would go on to be half of Gnarls Barkley and here introduces a raft of different instrumentation. Songs like ‘I Got Mine’ and ‘Strange Times’ still pack a punch and a hook, but when ‘Psychotic Girl’ arrives it’s with a dreamy, psychedelic vibe, accentuated by crooning backing vocals from Carla Monday and a delicate, plinking piano motif from the Mouse fella.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLSpj7q6_mM" target="_blank">‘Howlin’ For You’</a> from <i>Brothers </i>(2010): <i>Brothers</i> seems to me something of a transitional album, coming in the wake of a hiatus in which Auerbach and Carney barely spoke to each other, to the point where Auerbach didn’t even tell his bandmate he was releasing a solo album, while for his part Carney’s marriage was falling apart. But it’s also the point at which the Keys became a seriously big deal, winning Grammys, registering hit singles, and the album eventually going platinum. ‘Howlin’ For You’ is one of those gold disc singles, its glam-rock stomping vibe pointing forward to what would come next.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6k8es2BNloE" target="_blank">‘Little Black Submarines’</a> from <i>El Camino </i>(2011): When I first heard <i>El Camino</i>, I remarked to a friend that it was like Jimmy Page and John Bonham had stumbled across a T.Rex recording session, and Jimmy had drawled, “Nah, that’s not how it’s done Marc. <i>This</i> is how it’s done!” That thumping glam-rock vibe produced a couple of mammoth hits in ‘Lonely Boy’ and ‘Gold On The Ceiling’, and it still tickles me that there’s a riff on ‘Run Right Back’ which carries echoes of Mud’s ‘Tigerfeet’. (Did the Keys ever “really love your tigerfeet”? Somehow I doubt it.) But ‘Little Black Submarines’ actually is even more Zeppelin-esque, with a couple of wistful, acoustic verses before ripsnorting chords and crashing drums demonstrate just how heavy they can get, a shout of “Hey!” heralding a lipsmacking Auerbach lead guitar salvo.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euzfvcjwqf4" target="_blank">‘Weight Of Love’</a> from <i>Turn Blue </i>(2014<i>)</i>: If ‘Psychotic Girl’ had a quasi-psychedelic feel, the near seven minutes of the opening track of Turn Blue sounds like Pink Floyd having a bash at a soul ballad. The intro is patient and elegiac, and after the sweetly sad verses (stacked with high harmonies from the wonderful McCrary sisters) the song culminates in a sweeping, soaring,<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUAkMbr_gwqSaZIJvjrJxasKnS6GxcFHDSd0YmNMFwD1ywwzJzsIR88reWVSOFgWHlXh4vAn_WPoLFxIE_yOV5V2_CyjvPiEEf9tsKhakwY63JFzHiAz0vFUhewGiTLlIbfmYSlna8-Oplb71rFWB3luffGIJgDB1r81xid0IaviGD91-nEzgc4z-KNc/s436/lets%20rock%20thumbnail.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="436" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUAkMbr_gwqSaZIJvjrJxasKnS6GxcFHDSd0YmNMFwD1ywwzJzsIR88reWVSOFgWHlXh4vAn_WPoLFxIE_yOV5V2_CyjvPiEEf9tsKhakwY63JFzHiAz0vFUhewGiTLlIbfmYSlna8-Oplb71rFWB3luffGIJgDB1r81xid0IaviGD91-nEzgc4z-KNc/s320/lets%20rock%20thumbnail.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> layered guitar workout from Auerbach. <i>Turn Blue</i> isn’t the most accessible of Black Keys albums, but ‘Weight Of Love’ is still a statement track.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux-UHobIWnA" target="_blank">‘Sit Around And Miss You’</a> from <i><a href="http://www.bluesenthused.com/2019/07/the-black-keys-lets-rock.html" target="_blank">‘Let’s Rock’ </a>(</i>2019): If <i>Turn Blue</i> wasn’t entirely radio friendly, <i>‘Let’s Rock’</i> is very much the opposite – carefree and hit-heavy. I could probably have picked from half a dozen tracks across the album’s breezy 39 minutes, among them the terrifically catchy ‘Lo/Hi’ and ‘Get Yourself Together’, but I’m going for the delightfully woozy ‘Sit Around And Miss You’, which sounds like our boys have been giving Stealer’s Wheel a damn good listening to.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfP2KLsj7yk" target="_blank">‘Sad Days, Lonely Nights’</a> from <i><a href="http://www.bluesenthused.com/2021/05/the-black-keys-delta-kream.html" target="_blank">Delta Kreme</a> </i>(2021): Having produced an album of face-slappingly upbeat spontaneity, Auerbach and Carney then slammed on the brakes and headed back to some of their seminal influences, recording a bundle of covers typified by the deep grooves of North Mississippi hill country big cats Junior Kimbrough and RL Burnside, collaborating with veterans of their bands. The mood is low-down, slow-down, and ‘Sad Days, Lonely Nights’ is a perfect example of its loping, hypnotic sound.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygC1d_XrERw" target="_blank">‘For The Love Of Money’</a> from <i><a href="http://www.bluesenthused.com/2022/06/the-black-keys-dropout-boogie.html" target="_blank">Dropout Boogie</a> </i>(2022): The most recent album from the Akron boys is a bit of an uneven affair, with a few songs that probably won’t do much to turn your head. Even ‘Your Team Is Looking Good’, which has a killer hook, is a bit of a one-trick pony. But I’ve fished out ‘For The Love Of Money’ for the way it welds a typically bluesy riff to a late period Beatle-ish melody and rock’n’roll sensibility, with Auerbach channelling John Lennon on his vocals at times. And frankly ‘Burn The Damn Thing Down’ is even more brazenly Fab Four-esque. The pair had covered ‘She Said, She Said’ way back on <i>The Big Come Up</i> all of 20 years before, so it seems what goes around comes around.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">It's in the nature of this beast that I’ve skipped a couple of recordings along the way, notably the album <i>Magic Potion</i> and the six track tribute <i>Chulahoma: The Songs Of Junior Kimbrough</i>, both from 2006, though there are a few more curiosities out there if you’re minded to look for them. But hopefully this is a good enough Bluffer’s Guide to Akron’s finest – and will tee you up to make the most of their next album <i>Ohio Players</i>, due for release on 5 April. Turn it up, folks!</span></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-GB">A playlist of all ten tracks discussed above is now available on the Blues Enthused YouTube channel, <a href="https://bit.ly/3Ot1LF1" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: x-small;">You can pre-order the new Black Keys album <i>Ohio Players</i> <a href="https://theblackkeys.lnk.to/OhioPlayers" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></div>Iain Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632802738054727809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566179647656780321.post-45281480207555472392024-01-30T11:50:00.000-08:002024-03-04T10:42:32.369-08:00Quickies - Evan Nicole Bell, Robby Krieger And The Soul Savages, Harpo Walker<div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Evan Nicole Bell – Runaway Girl EP</b><br /><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Twitter-using blues listeners may be familiar with the name Evan Nicole Bell. She’s the young thing from Baltimore who shares videos of her sitting outside on the steps in the sunshine, playing covers of blues songs. Armed with just her guitar, some loops and rhythms, and her honeyed voice, she comes across as something fresh and charming, and has garnered millions of views.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Somewhat disappointingly, her first proper release comprises just three tracks, plus a radio edit of the title track. But still, what has young Evan got for us?<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieK3onHsFPBE2GMdjJMgnvZ2vCLLnnUilz5Y5LgH5U0ar6TADZsSrWxjr8VHCoidDlyoFl_npva4NkrtDD1kFR_ru9-LO7faQMqXkMOIO_5T1_2I3wLIV9vFoLhrEc9q9rUkj4pVSEklR1MZja_S3odcVa_Fas2p44A2SUXmWx3i9nUuLAuBSy8iI3tCA/s300/blue%20top%20portrait.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieK3onHsFPBE2GMdjJMgnvZ2vCLLnnUilz5Y5LgH5U0ar6TADZsSrWxjr8VHCoidDlyoFl_npva4NkrtDD1kFR_ru9-LO7faQMqXkMOIO_5T1_2I3wLIV9vFoLhrEc9q9rUkj4pVSEklR1MZja_S3odcVa_Fas2p44A2SUXmWx3i9nUuLAuBSy8iI3tCA/w416-h233/blue%20top%20portrait.jpeg" width="416" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Evan Nicole Bell - playing on a front step near . . . Baltimore</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Opening track ‘Burn’ has a vaguely Latin feel, and if there’s something sunny about the relaxed sway of it, the lyrics are a bit more downbeat. After a minute drums arrive to pep up the clicking rhythm a bit, but overall the vibe remains a bit too nu-soul, a bit like Sade but without the sleek froideur.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">It’s a handbrake turn from there into ‘Catfish Blues’, which Bell launches with a flurry of trilling guitar notes en route to the riff being delivered with Hendrixy fuzz over a steady beat and stutters of bass. Bell’s vocal ranges from reflective to sultry to hints of raunch, while she saddles up on guitar to deliver a couple of tasty breaks before wrapping up sharpish in three short minutes.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ablsHgEBL-M" target="_blank">‘Runaway Girl’</a> itself is the strongest offering here, though some way off what could reasonably be described as blues. At its core are stop-start piano chords over a lazy beat, while Bell manipulates the interesting melody into a rattle-and-pause vocal. For a while it sounds like the skeleton of some modern R&B chart-directed tune, but it gets more impressive as Bell’s vocal gets more agitated and soulful, culminating in a guitar break of needle-sharp wiriness.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">The <i>Runaway Girl</i> EP is little more than a toe dipped in the water from Evan Nicole Bell. A full assessment of her talents will have to wait for a more substantive outing.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <br /></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The<i> Runaway Girl</i> EP is out now.</span><br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><b>Robby Kreiger And The Soul Savages – Robby Krieger And The Soul Savages</b><br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">I think it’s safe to say that I’m not really the target audience for this all-instrumental album from one-time Doors guitarist Robby Krieger. Whereas the Doors came up with a string of great, distinctive songs that I could absolutely get behind, the Soul Savages offer up a sleek brand of jazz-fusion that doesn’t do much for me at all.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">The musicianship is certainly high-level, focused largely on the interplay between Krieger’s <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkA7ZYeGf3QEWvisaN_rQaAdEEdd8hafnQ4wSHezOrS7-RIAwoB4paKbBUqBTHTGd7rFOW98VNnYfjDUQYJn4RuEeqxZD4mBiSVx5LwrZ30yt6CLIt7pR4Yzmx_cID-6Ke1t9UhczGbvgtCTORDiNb_rzKemmPgd0FbNORSsoZCm5W6LnfiwssYOc51UY/s1000/RobbyKrieger%20playing.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkA7ZYeGf3QEWvisaN_rQaAdEEdd8hafnQ4wSHezOrS7-RIAwoB4paKbBUqBTHTGd7rFOW98VNnYfjDUQYJn4RuEeqxZD4mBiSVx5LwrZ30yt6CLIt7pR4Yzmx_cID-6Ke1t9UhczGbvgtCTORDiNb_rzKemmPgd0FbNORSsoZCm5W6LnfiwssYOc51UY/w361-h361/RobbyKrieger%20playing.jpg" width="361" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Robby Krieger - not such a savage soul</span></td></tr></tbody></table>guitar and the keyboards of Ed Roth, but the chops of bassist Kevin Brandon and drummer Franklin Vanderbilt are also self-evident. The trouble is that they’re collaborating on material<br /> that, despite their name, lacks any real soul.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">For example, there are interesting things going on in the opening ‘Shark Skin Suit’, from the funky bass groove to some queasy, oddball keyboard fills, and low-bending guitar picking up the main theme before Roth and Krieger get busy on an organ break and a more upscale guitar solo respectively. But the whole doesn’t really sum like even the sum of its parts. And could <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBUpmtc3Pac" target="_blank">‘A Day In LA’</a>, with its laid grooves, form the background to a movie scene involving beautiful people messing around on a sun-kissed West Coast beach? Or is it just elevator music?<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">‘Contrary Motion’ is interesting in so far as it’s built around a theme – nothing so vulgar as a riff on display here – that sounds maddeningly familiar. Is it a facsimile of something from Colosseum II’s <i>Variations</i>, or an echo of some 60s/70s movie theme? Whatever, Krieger adds some interestingly warped guitar play, and Roth some pseudo-classical organ, but it all feels rather like an exercise in cleverness, without any emotional content.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">On ‘Bouncy Betty’ it feels like Betty isn’t so much bouncy as a bit coquettish, fluttering her musical eyelashes. Meanwhile ‘Richochet Rabbit’ has neither the zing of a ricochet nor the scurrying energy of a rabbit, comprising largely inconsequential noodling.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">I’ll give ‘em some credit for ‘Blue Brandino’, on which an intriguing opening groove is interrupted by peremptory bursts of twiddling guitar and organ, in a manner vaguely redolent of Paice Ashton Lord’s ‘Ghost Story’. Krieger adds a more muscular guitar solo, and late on there’s aheap of phasing going on to maintain the attention, but that’s about as good as it gets.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjd_AP9EiPX6fBacL3p1vbDn9C-v7pUzQ-GQ_auEF8W6iOu0vdKWFOJK9A6zM1Q5JCSTVcRfhlwCCD0P19TQdXIHBcm9gIvy2T4wYsneqN_wZTHQsE_qwH5r5f5qHy_jGBYPUcvrhQh31IlNGwwlHC5mLqT5FkXTVKWJRe0Xn8IMURo4d_huEUBFRVhA/s1800/Tom%20wicker%20seat%20shout%20mic.webp" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="431" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjd_AP9EiPX6fBacL3p1vbDn9C-v7pUzQ-GQ_auEF8W6iOu0vdKWFOJK9A6zM1Q5JCSTVcRfhlwCCD0P19TQdXIHBcm9gIvy2T4wYsneqN_wZTHQsE_qwH5r5f5qHy_jGBYPUcvrhQh31IlNGwwlHC5mLqT5FkXTVKWJRe0Xn8IMURo4d_huEUBFRVhA/w345-h431/Tom%20wicker%20seat%20shout%20mic.webp" width="345" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Tom Walker plays invisible harp</span></td></tr></tbody></table>I have visions of Fagen and Becker sitting in the control room while some session guns for hire doodle away for a few minutes at the end of a recording session, and Fagen saying: “Yeah, well we don’t need any of this shit, do we?” “Hell no,” replies Becker. But like I say, this really just isn’t my scene, man.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <br /></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Robby Krieger And The Soul Savages</i> is out now on The Players Club/Mascot Label Group, and can be ordered <a href="https://lnk.to/robbykrieger?utm_source=Mascot+Label+Group+%28Master+List%29&utm_campaign=2289e00ac7-20240119+Robby+Krieger+release&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-4d7c1d6707-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&mc_cid=2289e00ac7&mc_eid=fbbf888e0b" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><b>Harpo Walker – Bruised Heart Blues</b><br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">This is one of the more interesting instances of “ones that got away” from last year – kept meaning to write about it, but never quite managed it.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">British singer, harp player, guitarist and songwriter Tom ‘Harpo’ Walker emigrated to Australia a couple of years before the pandemic, and shortly afterwards rediscovered his musical mojo after walking into a Sydney pub and tripping over a blues jam. And so here he is with <i>Bruised Heart Blues</i>, covering a few blues bases, mostly in a laid back kinda vein.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">A couple of tunes carry hints of JJ Cale, the more convincing of them being the opener ‘I’m A Fool’, with its groaning vocal, sporadic moans of harp and squeaks of conversational slide guitar. A couple of others explore a folkie-pop groove, ‘Nothing Worth Knowing Comes Easy’ is warm, mellow and acoustic-driven, and if the melody is a bit thin, it’s still nice enough, while ‘Don’t Stop’ is a jaunty little outing with echoes of Stealer’s Wheel.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Two of the most pleasing tracks feature guest appearances from British blues chanteuse Dani Wilde. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uSbQL1gakA" target="_blank">‘Ride On’</a> centres on a very ‘Smokestack Lightning’ riff, but it’s Wilde’s smoochy vocal that catches the ear, forming a nice contrast with Walker’s more gravelly tones, while Ewan Lund adds pleasing spurts of pinging guitar. Then Wilde reappears to get all breathy on the dreamy, Ray Charles-like soul of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MYQ9lUZ9MY" target="_blank">‘Start Again’</a>, with Lund contributing some more tasteful solo-ing.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">‘Time Bomb’ brings a smoky groove and some wheezing harp to a decent, rolling tune. Meanwhile ‘Tearing Me Up Inside’ approaches Wily Bo Walker’s ‘Voodooville’ territory, with a noir-ish, characterful narrative atmospherically delivered by Walker overly a Latin-tinged groove, to which Lund this time adds some biting guitar embellishment.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><i>Bruised Heart Blues</i> comes over like an easy-going session in the back room of a pub on a sunny afternoon, with a few beers and some enjoyable chat in friendly company. If that sounds like your kind of thing, then get a round in.<br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><i>Bruised Heart Blues</i> was released in May 2023 on Big Rock Records.</span></span></span></div>Iain Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632802738054727809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566179647656780321.post-3395609733695894442024-01-28T09:20:00.000-08:002024-01-29T07:27:57.440-08:00Gimme 5 - Mississippi bluesman Robert Connely Farr is our latest musical travel guide<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Born in Bolton, Mississippi, and now resident in Vancouver, Robert Connely Farr's ass may be in Canada, but his heart remains in the South. A champion of the Bentonia blues tradition maintained by famed juke joint owner Jimmy 'Duck' Holmes, Farr is a purveyor of spooky, soul-searching stripped-back blues, typified by his latest album <i><a href="http://www.bluesenthused.com/2023/12/robert-connely-farr-pandora-sessions.html" target="_blank">Pandora Sessions</a></i>, released in October 2023. So what's the music and who are the people who prick up his ears when he's not hanging around the crossroads at midnight, waiting for the Devil to give him inspiration? Tell us, Robert!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><b><span lang="EN-GB"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;">Gimme 5 songs, old or new, that have been on your radar recently. [<i>Click on the links to listen to Robert's selections.</i>]</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FSgekLujqE" target="_blank">‘02.02.99’</a> by That Mexican OT: “I came across That Mexican OT on YouTube, I have an insatiable desire for all things Southern, including Southern Rap. This guy is actually out of </span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNoWlunrg2TaLrog7HL3A7Bt4jvFlzPU6L_zf2tG9ezo6YWkSyqItRs1fKSesjLxraqs81hIyZ-g3LTXTrx5vagmhqcuAOmmowzRAs7oXNrgDFH2ixc5t56Mx2bOriIaSmevM9N9CiQ4ICUrGTC2o3qv1t0lKf7994bsKDlzj_zurns2kSyzK4qWWA5Bo/s554/portrait%20with%20cigar.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="554" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNoWlunrg2TaLrog7HL3A7Bt4jvFlzPU6L_zf2tG9ezo6YWkSyqItRs1fKSesjLxraqs81hIyZ-g3LTXTrx5vagmhqcuAOmmowzRAs7oXNrgDFH2ixc5t56Mx2bOriIaSmevM9N9CiQ4ICUrGTC2o3qv1t0lKf7994bsKDlzj_zurns2kSyzK4qWWA5Bo/w410-h410/portrait%20with%20cigar.jpeg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Robert Connely Farr - "Are you looking' at me?"<br /><div style="text-align: right;">Pic by Rustin Gudim</div></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: arial;">Houston and brings a lot of Latin influence to his music & style – which I find really intriguing. The beat and his delivery are incredible, in my opinion.”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXz9Y93_uhk" target="_blank">‘Dylan Phase Again’</a> by We Found A Lovebird: “We Found A Lovebird is a band out of Vancouver and their single 'Dylan Phase Again' really stuck out to me when it was released. I downloaded it right away and been playing it daily – I love it when a song hits like that.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FEFSL_dwwg" target="_blank">‘Heritage of Arrogance’</a> by Adeem The Artist: “This whole album by Adeem the Artist is a real kick to the gut, in a good way in my book. I believe I originally heard of them through YouTube in one of my many wormholes looking into new artist. I really enjoy the vulnerability and spirit of conviction in this album.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q_1-vEYzF0" target="_blank">‘Outlaws’</a> by Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires: “Another band out of the South that I’ve immense respect for. Lee Bains is a prolific and accomplished songwriter with political views that seem very similar to my own. ‘Outlaws’ is an incredible song that speaks to an important job for those who wish for a better America and South.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGjlpVrTHno" target="_blank">‘Burn In Hell’</a> by Junior Kimbrough: “Junior Kimbrough is the man. Hands down. And this live album is a great example of why. ‘Burn In Hell’ is killer, how the song comes in – eerie and abrupt – 7 minutes of juke joint hill country blues y’all. I love the “train going down the tracks and never gonna stop” vibe to this one.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><b><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Gimme 5 artists or bands who have had a big influence on your work.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB">Jimmy Duck Holmes: “Hands down changed the trajectory of my music career. His teachings and mentorship brought music home for me. After a decade of searching for my sound, he showed me it was at home - quite literally in my backyard. " [<i>Check out the Blues Enthused review of Jimmy's 2020 album</i> <i><a href="http://www.bluesenthused.com/2020/01/jimmy-duck-holmes-cypress-grove.html" target="_blank">Cypress Grove</a></i>.]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB">Mac Pontiac: “A Vancouver songwriter and troubadour who passed away a few years back. His songs and public performances were breathtaking, as tragic as he was. He helped a lot of people in need, myself as well in some of my darkest moments – encouraging me to keep on keeping on.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB">RL Boyce: “His smile and his energy were infectious. He recently passed away, but damn could that man play! I remember at the 2023 Bentonia Blues Festival he asked me to join his set. I<br />remember telling him “Ain’t no way I can hang with you RL!!!” But he pulled me on up to the stage and hollered “I’m gonna show you how”.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvAEGw6pNc2VvtH9VqYT8_yGZ2p2gRWUvrXC7mK5DuBjv16ovv9U15cGAU_GSSHSrBMjEFZdetAenfEbA-QkofG5r6Mt650NTjwwzZNKx-Q-g2nVTXXmurT4YUEeWsyWJBApDnKd5y0fbyVP8AzjyiKdQy6rkV4mcENcc-SwmZmNC203sLEzNeBr0TpU/s580/jimmy%20inside%20blue%20front.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="580" height="389" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvAEGw6pNc2VvtH9VqYT8_yGZ2p2gRWUvrXC7mK5DuBjv16ovv9U15cGAU_GSSHSrBMjEFZdetAenfEbA-QkofG5r6Mt650NTjwwzZNKx-Q-g2nVTXXmurT4YUEeWsyWJBApDnKd5y0fbyVP8AzjyiKdQy6rkV4mcENcc-SwmZmNC203sLEzNeBr0TpU/w389-h389/jimmy%20inside%20blue%20front.jpeg" width="389" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jimmy 'Duck' Holmes plays host in his Blue Front Café</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="EN-GB">Neil Young: “He was really the first songwriter that I remember influencing me, not so much how I played, but how I wanted to write - songs that were critical and asked hard questions.” <o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB">Drive-By Truckers: “I’ve been seeing ‘em live since ’98 and I’ve been blown away by their work, convictions and live performances since. To this day, one of my favourite bands/songwriters out there.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><b><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Gimme 5 guests you’d love to invite to your ideal long lunch.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB">My brother: “He makes the best Angus steaks you’ve ever had. He’s my best friend in this world and one of the best men I know. And I don’t get to see him near enough. Any time I get to spend with him – hell, just thinking about it brings a smile to my face.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB">Jimmy Duck Holmes: “He’s like a grandfather to me. I love his outlook on life. We both grew up on the same stretch of the Big Black River. And some of the best fried catfish I ever ate came out of the kitchen of his juke joint the Blue Front Café.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB">Jason Isbell: “I look up to that fella. His vulnerability and honesty are hard to stomach sometimes – mostly because it’s a reflection of myself. His process and perspective are very encouraging to me.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_M._Blow" target="_blank">Charles M Blow</a>: “The author of the book <i>The Devil You Know: A Black Manifesto</i>, which is a hard and unflinching look the state of race relations in America. I have a deep respect and</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNJo9EueXjDRLh0r5BE83rYRt8Tj2Nyw0GYJcANV1R0vG9Ci_FX_x7d3rKu-B-jkNpnWn7MLxXZo-ecDYKkNLUv2gkB_oh_86Q7clJFDDlYzXjd34G2olOPlJws2LJ2JSyrhXo1ceYhs7oYL8zUQUV0Q251XY24e2HXltaeMVXWxh0eU6iJYw2DMkauw/s436/junior%20kimbrough%20most%20things%20red.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="436" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNJo9EueXjDRLh0r5BE83rYRt8Tj2Nyw0GYJcANV1R0vG9Ci_FX_x7d3rKu-B-jkNpnWn7MLxXZo-ecDYKkNLUv2gkB_oh_86Q7clJFDDlYzXjd34G2olOPlJws2LJ2JSyrhXo1ceYhs7oYL8zUQUV0Q251XY24e2HXltaeMVXWxh0eU6iJYw2DMkauw/s320/junior%20kimbrough%20most%20things%20red.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span lang="EN-GB"> admiration for his work.”<o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB">Country singer-songwriter <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margo_Price" target="_blank">Margo Price</a>: “I’m a long-time fan of hers. I appreciate her story and what she stands for. It seems like she’s always fighting the good fight – I like that.” [<i>Margo Price was a new name to me, so here's a link to her song</i> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoxGsS4PMd8" target="_blank">'Been To The Mountain'</a>.]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><b>And what would be the first album you'd put on as background music?</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB">"That would have to be <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yjm5zB-czsc" target="_blank">Most Things Haven't Worked Out</a></i> by Junior Kimbrough - a huge inspiration to me and my drummer pal Jay Bundy Johnson over recent years!"</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Finally, just one track – pick one of your tracks that you’d share with a new listener to introduce your music.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB">“I’m going to pick ‘Getting’ Tired of Getting’ Old’. This song just came out of nowhere one day. I totally remember sitting on my couch, thinking I needed to do something productive but being tired as shit! I grabbed my 12 string Gibson and the song just fell out of that ol' thing right into my iPhone voice recorder and the rest was history. It’s a blend of the Bentonia Style that Jimmy’s been teaching me and the Hill Country style that the late RL Boyce was encouraging me to implement into my playing.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"> <iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T8OCJRmJqeU?si=G1aIlRcc4sVsKOyf" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span><p></p></span></div>Iain Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632802738054727809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566179647656780321.post-23151687925610983852024-01-23T03:47:00.000-08:002024-01-23T03:47:28.244-08:00Emanuel Casablanca - Strung Out On Thrills<div><span style="font-family: arial;">Grooves. Big fat grooves. Big, fat, <i>bass-heavy</i> grooves. That’s the first thing that grabs my attention on this second album by Brooklyn-based singer and guitarist Emanual Casablanca. EC and his co-producer Paul Howells must have really liked the rolling rumble laid down by, variously, Julian Chabot and Sam Lazarev on eight of the tracks here, because they sure do capture it in guttural, reverberating splendour.<br /><span lang="EN-GB">Now, there’s more to <i>Strung Out On Thrills</i> than the low-down plunking stuff, but it’s a good start. The opener <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK-XUJSa5DA" target="_blank">‘Dogshit’</a> uses it as the launchpad for a grinding complaint about a deceitful woman, its toughened-up ‘Born Under A Bad Sign’ kinda tune given an extra boost by guest guitar slinger <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI-HXplkTfzZBE55iBbSDzkOopu8iryHHwE2J_Ma1beNswCWP8brAcUFd-c2q9OsWjex9h5rBC0eP4a611Pygsis-f05R8bNIxNLuVAsLiZyY7SPUw2JNCR1Xg6XqLsaS896Wyd2koAO5xcecljWtRpWjIZw7SErLCSNILzPZrv2Sp_a8zOZJcSrbtDxc/s2048/Emanuel%20Casblanca%20Publicity%20Hi-Res%20by%20Natalija%20Bubalo.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI-HXplkTfzZBE55iBbSDzkOopu8iryHHwE2J_Ma1beNswCWP8brAcUFd-c2q9OsWjex9h5rBC0eP4a611Pygsis-f05R8bNIxNLuVAsLiZyY7SPUw2JNCR1Xg6XqLsaS896Wyd2koAO5xcecljWtRpWjIZw7SErLCSNILzPZrv2Sp_a8zOZJcSrbtDxc/w503-h335/Emanuel%20Casblanca%20Publicity%20Hi-Res%20by%20Natalija%20Bubalo.jpg" width="503" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Emanuel Casablanca - Is that the face of a bad boy?<br /><div style="text-align: right;">Pic by Natalija Bubalo</div></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Joanna Connor’s sizzling, squealing slide playing. There’s a similar insistent swagger to the title track, as Casablanca edgily bemoans the fact that none of his familiar thrills, whether drugs, booze or women, do it for it him anymore. Then, cleverly, some acoustic strumming surfaces, and the track mellows out as Casablanca discovers that the thrill he really needs is love. Which in turn is a prompt for the sweetness of the following ‘Visceral’, on which our Emanuel explores his inner Sam Cooke over washes of organ and some lyrical guitar – until things turn sour with his baby, and guitar-laden angst ensues in tandem with the guesting Laurence Henderson. There’s more restraint on display with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wterVYX7LBY" target="_blank">‘The Farm’ </a>though, twinkling acoustic guitar over a throbbing rhythm forming the basis for a conversational vocal.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">I wouldn’t call what Casablanca does blues-rock, but ‘King’ is still a rocking strut of a thing, as he insists that wherever he takes his guitar folks’ jaws are going to drop at His Royalness – and the wiry guitar tone he deploys here is definitely attention-grabbing. And there’s plenty swagger to the following ‘Pistolero’ too, a don’t-mess-with-me gunman tale on which Big Apple Spanish guitar picker Salvo pops up to throw a Hispanic curve into the churning mix, before Casablanca digs out a piercing solo as drummer Blaque Dynamite (yes, really) flexes his muscles. Then the incongruously titled ‘Lass’ pairs up Sam Lazarov’s booming bass with the signature scraping slide of Joanna Connor once again, while one Kelli Baker pops up to deliver a fierce vocal on the tail end of the track.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Truth be told the melodies aren't exactly that original. But Casablanca, while not a pull-out-all-the-stops blues bawler, is a smart enough vocalist to give his songs plenty of character. His voice is hot-chocolate-rich when he wants, or assertively in-your-face, or higher and edgier à la Cedric Burnside on occasions. There are twists and turns to liven things up too, whether it’s the squelchy guitar tone he finds on ‘Bastard’, the nippy slide from the aptly-named Elliott Sharp on ‘Morning Wood’, or Casablanca’s poetic quasi-rap over the funky drums of Max Freedberg on the second half of the previously straightahead, bass-grooving ‘Pearl’. And on the bonus track ‘My Life’s Fire’ he conjures up a distinctly airy, acoustically-orientated vibe, with a lighter vocal, snappier drums and a dreamy synth line.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Casablanca’s uses “badboyofblues” for all his social media handles, and with his often cocksure lyrics is maybe trying to cultivate a rogue-ish persona. Yeah well, whatever – I reckon he’s a more intriguing character than that. <i>Strung Out On Thrills</i> is a grower of an album, subtler than it might seem at first blush. Emanuel Casablanca may not be a household blues name just yet, but on the strength of this outing he has buckets of potential, and is definitely one to watch.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: x-small;"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Strung Out On Thrills</i> is released by Vinyl Recording Group on 2 February.</span><br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></span></div>Iain Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632802738054727809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566179647656780321.post-30092670932199263392024-01-18T07:52:00.000-08:002024-01-18T09:20:56.447-08:00John Primer - Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh, 13 January 2024<div><span style="font-family: arial;">The thing about Chicago blues legends is that they are, inevitably, pretty old fellas, and at 78-years old John Primer is no exception. So when he comes onstage and starts puttering about, sorting his guitar strap, plugging in, turning on his amp, and (with a grin) taking a couple of attempts to find a plectrum in his pocket, the impression is of an affable, somewhat absent-minded grandad.<br />He's a sharp dressed man though, in his charcoal shirt and trousers and well-shined black shoes, complemented by a smart waistcoat, black and white striped tie, and nifty trilby hat. And <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4QRkCFnHdP6WD505cdzHwUnvXXOj2gFq1npF43Mxs7JUaAbbrN-UxKevgIkF4Icj1ReRdrs49a0aj5jVBmqW0ZcE0tGBaXLYuRVofWSH-6ZlC9qGot6-kfBx81IY1slhOoATtmppGpzjy1ZCzWeKztnxq1Yv3Y5ZZzLaHbCBQmCORKvYIv3u3vdUEKho/s3562/jp%20looking%20down.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3562" data-original-width="3061" height="467" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4QRkCFnHdP6WD505cdzHwUnvXXOj2gFq1npF43Mxs7JUaAbbrN-UxKevgIkF4Icj1ReRdrs49a0aj5jVBmqW0ZcE0tGBaXLYuRVofWSH-6ZlC9qGot6-kfBx81IY1slhOoATtmppGpzjy1ZCzWeKztnxq1Yv3Y5ZZzLaHbCBQmCORKvYIv3u3vdUEKho/w402-h467/jp%20looking%20down.jpg" width="402" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">John Primer, going down easy</span></td></tr></tbody></table>when he starts to play, John Primer absolutely commands attention, as befits a guy who has worked with Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon.<br /><span lang="EN-GB">Song titles aren’t that relevant really, though they provide a few points of reference. More important is the weaving of swinging blues grooves, which Primer decorates with supple guitar on extended intros and instrumental sections, his right hand curling up deftly from below the strings as he knocks out a fluid combination of lead and rhythm playing in relaxed fashion. He regularly cedes the spotlight to harmonica player Giles Robson, who has set up this tour, but even then it’s Primer that I attend to most, as he plays around with the groove, giving it an organic rather than rigid feel. And it seems to me that Robson, an accomplished and award-winning artist in his own right, latches on to Primer’s effortlessly in-the-pocket vibe, finds some deeper gearsl with his own soloing.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Truth be told, the pace doesn’t vary much across the various songs, but the textures and rhythms do. Primer produces a slide for a song that may or may not be titled ‘She’s Too Much’, giving it a sharper edge. There are hints of North Country Hill Country blues on ‘Hard Times’ – Primer was born in Mississippi, but further south – and he brings some spikiness and jangling licks to ‘Look Over Yonder Wall’.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">When he brings a touch of funk to the proceedings with ‘Gotta Love Somebody’, introducing it as a song he played often with his old band-mate Magic Slim - bassist Antoine Escalier steps up to the busier groove, evidently in his happy place. But Primer then gets into a slinkier, smoochier mode with ‘Feel Like Going Back Home’, a song he mischievously introduces as “belly rubbing music”, suitable for cuddling up to the missus, and which over time metamorphoses into ‘Rainy Night Georgia’, underlining the romantic mood. Which then just leaves time for him to rope the audience into singing along with the chugging boogie of Jimmy Reed’s ‘Close Together’. And then they’re done, to be met with a standing ovation from the full house in the Pleasance Theatre.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">John Primer’s nickname is “The Real Deal”, and it fits him well. There’s nothing flash about him – he brings a hypnotic quality, moulding and shaping the essentially simple blues form, making a real connection to old-school Chicago blues roots.</span></span></div>Iain Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632802738054727809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566179647656780321.post-47601359621211899572024-01-15T09:49:00.000-08:002024-01-16T05:08:02.514-08:00Wayward Sons - Riverside, Newcastle, 14 January 2024<span style="font-family: arial;">Lightning-strike riffing. Wah-wah howling, hair-tossing lead guitar. Thunder-cracking, skins-flaying drums. Shape-throwing, bassist pogo-ing stagecraft. Soaring, machine gun vocal delivery. Buckets of charisma. Oh yeah, and a hatful of irresistible tunes.<br /><span lang="EN-GB">Doubtless I’ve left half a dozen impressive qualities out of that list, but you get the picture. Yep, Wayward Sons are a proper, hard-hitting rock’n’roll band - one of the most thrilling around today, Jack. <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">They come onstage to an entry tape on which Johnny Cash singing ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFPAkNnIpAm9fT0QjZV8vAbckZlUyxqVGk-iWcMkFOue9nJj4U9egJX0jVjhAr2UR1iDGbVg2owtKlayUPtJf7BHRbyJowfgTWtCZ6I78I1QasQkhcV0Iq7i55LldEcUa0T-fEtFt9n1AKvcH0aBq43TYUp7lMOqAHTdX9qzOTB-zfDnukBDTpLdhYtMg/s3903/toby%20and%20nic.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2354" data-original-width="3903" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFPAkNnIpAm9fT0QjZV8vAbckZlUyxqVGk-iWcMkFOue9nJj4U9egJX0jVjhAr2UR1iDGbVg2owtKlayUPtJf7BHRbyJowfgTWtCZ6I78I1QasQkhcV0Iq7i55LldEcUa0T-fEtFt9n1AKvcH0aBq43TYUp7lMOqAHTdX9qzOTB-zfDnukBDTpLdhYtMg/w503-h303/toby%20and%20nic.jpg" width="503" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Toby Jepson reaches up, Nic Wastell gets down</span></td></tr></tbody></table>morphs into fairground music, which just about sums up the balance of the serious purpose in Toby Jepson’s lyrics and the rock’n’roll frolics of their performance. Then they launch into the hard-riffing ‘Big Day’ with smiling, kinetic intent. They follow that with the rollicking, lives -up-to-its title ‘Feel Good Hit’, at the end of which Jepson observes that the line “Feel good hit of the summer” feels ironic on a winter night when the Riverside is “bloody freezing”. And then they set about heating the place up with a pace that barely slackens over the next hour and a half as they blast out one hard rock anthem after another. <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">How to describe the Wayward Sons’ vibe? Think Ian Hunter and Mick Ronson cranked up into the red zone and covering The Ruts ‘Babylon’s Burning’ maybe, with lead axe picker Sam Wood nicking Brian May’s piercing guitar tone every now and then just to spice things up. Nah, that doesn’t really cover it, but it’ll do for a start.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">It's full throttle stuff, except when they downshift a gear or two for what passes for a breather on ‘Faith In Fools’, with its ELO-like chorus, complemented by airy backing vocals. They dial things down here and there though, to create a sense of dynamics, as on the power-popping ‘Fake’<br />with its harmonies, whopping great riff and a “na-na-na” ending reminiscent of the Banana Splits, no less. Most of the time though, they're powered along by Phil Martin making like Cozy Powell on drums, while bassman Nic Wastell charges around in rollercoaster fashion.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotxxbwcjdZGclBrQ68l4rwnigKzBSoYxGJuzNNYZX5jG0FlTmLdixszdV8KPd-RKYUmqQMxO4uAXZA-O9e6hxWZ9k2K6SWUQjIegHd4jnfjpffl0E4zZQHVsOWOcTqHgTfkMK2VZMX7uPeKLbFMPK5LkYCfoyxXqyShQryU9FtXXayngKByCBzgIz8i0/s3025/sam%20smiling.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2455" data-original-width="3025" height="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotxxbwcjdZGclBrQ68l4rwnigKzBSoYxGJuzNNYZX5jG0FlTmLdixszdV8KPd-RKYUmqQMxO4uAXZA-O9e6hxWZ9k2K6SWUQjIegHd4jnfjpffl0E4zZQHVsOWOcTqHgTfkMK2VZMX7uPeKLbFMPK5LkYCfoyxXqyShQryU9FtXXayngKByCBzgIz8i0/w430-h349/sam%20smiling.jpeg" width="430" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Smiling Sam Wood knocks out another solo</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Did I mention riffs? There are belters here, there and every which where, from the twist and slam of the aforementioned ‘Feel Good Hit’ to the blitzkrieg of ‘Even Up The Score’, the tense but melodic ‘Bloody Typical’ to the ringing-then-climbing affair on ‘Crush’ which is the catalyst for a bouncing, singalong highlight.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">But they’re more than just riff merchants, because Toby and chums don’t half know how to put a song together. Sadly the caustic polemic of Jepson’s clever wordsmithing tends to get lost in the Riverside’s high-ceilinged acoustics, but there’s no ignoring the quality of the melodies, arrangements and hooks. Did I say hooks? Nah, when you get to the focal points of tracks like the set closer ‘Until The End’, and the second of three encores ‘Ghost’, they’re not so much hooks as red-hot rivets slammed into your noggin with a hard rock sledgehammer. And those aren’t isolated examples, no siree.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">All of which leaves me with one question. Why the hell are these guys still playing modest clubs like the Riverside? Don’t get me wrong – I’m happier seeing ‘em here than fifty yards away in some aircraft hangar of an arena, but that’s just me being selfish. Hopefully 2024 is the year Wayward Sons achieve lift-off.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Finally, a quick word for local lads Thieves of Liberty, who opened the evening. My first impression was that they were pleasingly solid, but I ended up enjoying them more than that. Their twin Les Paul attack and whomping rhythm section gelled tightly, the lead guitar playing was engaging, and if the sound was a bit unkind on the vocal front they still knew how to put on a show. They looked like they were enjoying themselves, and rightly so.<br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Wayward Sons play Nottingham on 19 January and Wolverhampton on 20 January, details <a href="https://www.waywardsonsband.com/site/live-dates/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></span>Iain Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632802738054727809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566179647656780321.post-79934184952479491432024-01-11T07:27:00.000-08:002024-01-24T08:18:44.407-08:00Danielle Nicole - The Love You Bleed<div><span style="font-family: arial;">When this third album by Danielle Nicole kicks off with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptONlQ6kz7w" target="_blank">‘Love On My Brain’</a>, it doesn’t take long for one of her prime assets to come into play. The song starts off sultry, over strong’n’steady drums from Go-Go Ray, rising to a catchy chorus, then after a turn around the block, it hits a bridge on which Nicole lets loose her towering voice over crunching chords, socking it to the listener with both range and lung-busting force, reinforced by a sizzling guitar solo from Brandon Miller.<br /><span lang="EN-GB">Now, sometimes your biggest strength can also become your biggest weakness, and if Nicole were to let rip here, there and everywhere the result could be overpowering, and not in a good way. But <i>The Love You Bleed</i> shows that she’s canny enough to realise the value of dynamics. Her vocal power is kept on a leash enough for it to really make animpact when she does let<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrBz93N96IJsZVeyLEHrJwpGqQjwEBKLTT_G9bgGdBreh7X502geSPHH2tU2IZtDlxKU_PAufAXADJjJeHmvVI_xv1a17ChNYAD1EvCJgBObnilL_JIAmuOip94iOnL8FfnC5IrwXmyvpaiqwj3wDmpvOLJ40iZo8j5VJsPjBCyk-9ocHyCfg-N83kRpE/s6939/DN1_MIssyFaulkner%20copy.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6939" data-original-width="6768" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrBz93N96IJsZVeyLEHrJwpGqQjwEBKLTT_G9bgGdBreh7X502geSPHH2tU2IZtDlxKU_PAufAXADJjJeHmvVI_xv1a17ChNYAD1EvCJgBObnilL_JIAmuOip94iOnL8FfnC5IrwXmyvpaiqwj3wDmpvOLJ40iZo8j5VJsPjBCyk-9ocHyCfg-N83kRpE/w456-h468/DN1_MIssyFaulkner%20copy.jpeg" width="456" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Danielle Nicole, a little lady with a big voice - and a big bass<br /><div style="text-align: right;">Pic by Missy Faulkner </div></span></td></tr></tbody></table> go. And as on her previous outing <i><a href="http://www.bluesenthused.com/2018/03/danielle-nicole-cry-no-more.html" target="_blank">Cry No More</a></i>, that discipline is allied to material that offers plenty of light and shade.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">So yeah, she gets strident and angsty on the tougher, rockier ‘Head Down Low’, with its bluesy undercurrent and hesitant guitar over her own throbbing bass, and she brings some raunch to ‘Walk On By’, with its jagged, stop-time riffing and stinging wah-wah guitar solo. But she mines different grooves elsewhere.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3clAaQXtdI" target="_blank">‘Make Love’</a>, for example, is a slinky, sunny swatch of soul with hints of – where? Motown? Memphis? It comes with a herky-jerky section to shake things up, plus a piercing solo from the consistently impressive Miller, while La Nicole underlines her vocal talents by adding some smooth harmonies.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">A trio of torch song kinda thangs crop up along the way. There’s ‘Right By Your Side’, with its tasteful slide playing from Miller, and also the lovelorn ballad ‘Say You’ll Stay’ sung from the perspective of someone hanging onto a fragile hope of reconciliation, with an ethereal chorus complemented by cello and violin from Stevie Blacke. And things get properly fraught with emotion on penultimate track ‘Who He Thinks You Are’, Nicole keeping her voice in check over the slow and soulful, acoustic-led opening, then cranking it up a notch or three on the chorus, in readiness for the tension and release of a spine-tingling long note in the very last line.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">But one of the best moments comes when they dial it right down for the delicate ‘A Lover Is Forever’. Relying on just Nicole’s reflective voice and Miller’s understated, perfectly pitched acoustic guitar, it’s an absorbing, beautifully simple song. And the closing ‘Young Love On The Hill’ also plays a different, Americana-ish card, with its mandolin and acoustic guitar foundation courtesy of Miller, and cello undertones from Blacke to underscore the elegiac reverie about happy moments in an affair that will never become the real deal.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">None of the songs here are going to disappoint, though maybe a few arrangements follow predictable lines, well delivered though they are. ‘Fool’s Gold’ is an exception though, a bitter tale about someone who isn’t what they seem, well-seasoned by an edgy slide break from Miller, and given an extra twist by some quirky synth inflections from keyboard player Damon Parker.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Danielle Nicole’s name is on the tin, but on <i>The Love You Bleed</i> she benefits from mucho simpatico backing from Miller, Ray et al, and well-balanced production from Tony Braunagel, helping her vocal and songwriting skills to shine. And shine she does, making this her third soul-stirringly impressive album on the trot.<br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><i>The Love You Bleed</i> is released by Forty Below Records on 26 January, and can be ordered <a href="https://fortybelowrecs.lnk.to/TLYB" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></span></div>Iain Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632802738054727809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566179647656780321.post-19559533427272115802024-01-06T08:58:00.000-08:002024-01-06T08:59:44.997-08:00Chris O'Leary - The Hard Line<div><span style="font-family: arial;">First impressions, eh? I mean, the first time I played this new album from Chris O’Leary, I kind of half-listened to it while pottering about at something else, and thought “Okay, pretty straight up this-and-that – sounds alright.” Wrong.<br /><span lang="EN-GB">To be honest I’d never heard of him before. But when I got properly acquainted with <i>The Hard Line</i>, I realised that Chris O’Leary is way better than “alright”. This guy is a top-drawer blues singer, a teeth-rattling harp player, and a seriously talented songwriter. All 12 of the tracks here come from his pen, and his alone, and he delivers the goods with plenty variety and no filler.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">‘No Rest’ kicks things in Chicago blues fashion, with O’Leary knocking out some wheezing harp <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJrYjdOurO8IXpd4GvZtETz3eYMV4fB8a4xE_ljhTBAO0IlWfJfSo_0KjD9-cjabTm04AU6f3tJCAuS82sYLTgR0exsCFWzKRPcoiDYcx4VpkoqfTMPSIpKeHTeGE1nIEBeBSqTlTrhgnTRgn5sZq0yGUZIBeKXgWYcyxoyVsMBZqU4hn3lMLjVGJYGN8/s3058/ChrisO'Leary_281_byPaulNatkin.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3058" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJrYjdOurO8IXpd4GvZtETz3eYMV4fB8a4xE_ljhTBAO0IlWfJfSo_0KjD9-cjabTm04AU6f3tJCAuS82sYLTgR0exsCFWzKRPcoiDYcx4VpkoqfTMPSIpKeHTeGE1nIEBeBSqTlTrhgnTRgn5sZq0yGUZIBeKXgWYcyxoyVsMBZqU4hn3lMLjVGJYGN8/w471-h462/ChrisO'Leary_281_byPaulNatkin.jpg" width="471" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Chris O'Leary gets good and emotional<br /><div style="text-align: right;">Pic by Paul Natkin</div></span></td></tr></tbody></table>over a lazily shuffling rhythm, and then giving a first inkling of his quality as a wordsmith with lines about how “Mr Sandman must have lost my address”. Okay, so it’s not Shakespeare, but it’s fresh, and far from isolated in that regard. Oh yeah, and just to show off a bit more, O’Leary contributes some of the sparkling guitar breaks that enliven the track.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">There’s plenty more of this upbeat kinda stuff. The brisk and amiable jump blues of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIRS2p2Uobo" target="_blank">‘Lost My Mind’</a> picks up the baton right away, with more sharp lyrics and change-ups in the arrangement that hold the attention. Ivory tinkler Brooks Milgate’s boogie-woogie piano leads the way on ‘Need For Speed’, as the foundation for O’Leary to do his stuff on a fun, rat-a-tat vocal about a woman who’s “never seen a speed limit she didn’t break, and speaking of brakes that’s the pedal she hates”. And when Milgate whacks out a lipsmacking solo, his left hand pumping away like a piston, O’Leary matches him with a wailing harp break.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">‘Funky Little Club On Decatur’ shows the influence of N’Awlins on O’Leary, who relocated there from New York State in 1997 at the behest of Levon Helm, no less. With its tip-tapping shuffling from Michael Bram on drums, woozy slide from Chris Vitarello, and swooping trombone from Darren Sterud, the tune carries echoes of Royal Southern Brotherhood’s ‘Sweet Jelly Donut’. Meanwhile ‘Love For Sale’ is a rollicking, high-tempo closer, a rock'n'rollin' good-time boogie about a marriage coming to a crashing end with a yard sale, O’Leary whooping as he insists “Our love’s for sale, I’ll take cheque, cash, credit or card” for all the marital goods.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">And all of that is just fine and dandy, but O’Leary really underlines his credentials with downbeat material that’s just as good. ‘Ain’t That A Crime’ is a slow blues from the voice of a guy brooding about his woman done him wrong, which then takes a darker path, captured broodingly by O’Leary’s characterful low-down vocal and Chris Vitarello’s warped, burrowing wah-wah solo.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">But the real cream in the coffee is when O’Leary steps into Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland soulful blues territory with ‘I Cry At Night’ and ‘Lay These Burdens Down’. Over the former’s dragging beat, and subterranean baritone sax from Ron Knittle, O’Leary lays out the emotions of a vulnerable man, backed up by some emotive guitar work from ‘Monster’ Mike Welch. Meanwhile ‘Lay These Burdens Down’ is a languidly paced meditation from a troubled man, O’Leary groaning with conviction about the need to “Wash the blood off my hands in dirty water”. It’s a song with real emotional weight, delivered with sensitivity by O’Leary and his buddies.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">There’s plenty more to like here, but I’ll leave you to discover that for yourself. Suffice to say that Chris O’Leary is a singer, harp blower and songwriter to compare with Curtis Salgado, but still very much his own man. And that’s saying sump’n. With <i>The Hard Line</i>, Chris O’Leary is a guy to give retro blues stylings a good name.<br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><i>The Hard Line</i> is released by Alligator Records on 12 January.</span></span></span></div>Iain Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632802738054727809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566179647656780321.post-45789914692906232692023-12-18T10:37:00.000-08:002023-12-18T10:37:09.206-08:00Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia - Blood Brothers: Live In Canada<span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-GB">Reviewing these guys' <i><a href="http://www.bluesenthused.com/2023/03/mike-zito-albert-castiglia-blood.html" target="_blank">Blood Brothers</a></i> studio album back in March, I expressed a “</span>nagging feeling that this album could have been so much bigger, so much bolder – a fusion of Zito and Castiglia to blow the bloody doors off<span lang="EN-GB">”. Well, friends, I am here to tell you that THIS IS THAT FREAKIN’ ALBUM!<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">From the minute they crack open ‘Hey Sweet Mama’, everything is just as it should be. The Quo-like boogie-ing riff rings out like a bell to pave the way for a Skynyrd-like blast of rocking blues, their voices fitting together perfectly as Mike Zito provides high harmonies to complement Albert Castiglia’s growl, while Lewis Stephens flings in piano trills as an extra spark. Oh yeah, and there are rock’n’rollin’ solos from both parties to top things off.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio31dz36pkSRyDR8AEdI0Cv_f7FE_fohtbqmn7FZKdD0wYMNBheFggt6AU6-pa8GboHMI5CseAmMu-j0WUgRHoXxLTYi-2oHFW3nhwjqYb1STYzdCXLqXDr8MvZuDipj9tj71kN8SA5WtCTIYmp7cHVq7Sraonsy85-sgfr4gCq8B_W6jQ4qRgB3URCSs/s1200/Blood%20Brothers%204.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="419" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio31dz36pkSRyDR8AEdI0Cv_f7FE_fohtbqmn7FZKdD0wYMNBheFggt6AU6-pa8GboHMI5CseAmMu-j0WUgRHoXxLTYi-2oHFW3nhwjqYb1STYzdCXLqXDr8MvZuDipj9tj71kN8SA5WtCTIYmp7cHVq7Sraonsy85-sgfr4gCq8B_W6jQ4qRgB3URCSs/w630-h419/Blood%20Brothers%204.jpg.webp" width="630" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"Hey Mike, I think he likes it!"</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-GB">The following ‘Tooth And Nail’ confirms that they mean business. It starts off as a sturdy strut, with harmonised guitars cranking out its ‘Green Onions’-ish riff, with slamming punctuation from the doubled up drums of Matt Johnson and Ephraim Lowell and a snarling vocal from Castiglia. But it builds up a head of steam through rollercoaster passages of slide guitar, till it turns into a tyre-squealing, siren-blazing, bodywork-crunching car chase of a thing.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">And so it goes on. ‘In My Soul’ is a Southern-sounding epic to give recent leaders of that pack Robert Jon & The Wreck a run for their money and then some, bringing together spangly, mirrorball-like strumming, thudding drums, sweeps of organ, and more great harmonies, before lifting off into a whole other, stratospheric level of spiralling guitar and Zito singing feelingly that “I need love in my soul”. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvtIzAi4rlY" target="_blank">‘A Thousand Heartaches’</a> opens with simple chords and a tumbling guitar line, as a precursor to the swoonsome melody that illuminates its achingly romantic lyric, with dashes of perfectly complementary piano and organ. With all its light and shade, and a stunning, intense solo, it’s a real delight.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Ten of the eleven tracks on the studio album feature, but the likes of ‘No Good Woman’ and ‘My Business’ seem transformed. The former is a relaxed, loping blues of the kind Zito has made a speciality over the years, and in this rendition is bristling with character. Meanwhile John Hiatt’s ‘My Business’ rides a Willie Dixon-style Chicago blues riff that sounds like it’s being attacked by a panel beater with a grudge, and features a screeching, buzzsaw-on-metal slide solo to go with the acidic distaste of the vocals.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Fans of the Allmans are likely to drool over ‘Hill Country Jam’, a lengthy but structured instrumental that evolves from its loose, conversational opening full of neat guitar harmonising into a funky strut that’s the cue for a pumped-up organ solo from Lewis Stephens, building until they downshift into a breezy section. There’s fine guitar work and clever shifts in pace, with swinging drums and grooving bass from Doug Byrkit, culminating in several minutes’ worth of bass and drums showcases – some of which is even quite interesting.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">More pointed is the bitter, teeth-gritted slow blues ‘You’re Gonna Burn’, on which Castiglia observes convincingly that “I don’t get mad but I get even, if it takes me a hundred years”, and adds a fiery guitar solo to live up to the title. And <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TCju3bkK0g" target="_blank">‘Bag Me, Tag Me’</a> is a burst of heads down, no nonsense rock’n’roll, like Chuck Berry hopped up on amphetamines, fit to make you to dance like no-one is watching.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Which just leaves two tracks that didn’t feature on the studio outing. Firstly there’s a laid back rendition of Zito’s atmospheric, swaying ‘Gone To Texas’, extended to accommodate guitar harmonies and counterpointing that eventually resolve into the theme from ‘Jessica’ – a trick that’s become a cliché nowadays, but I’ll let ‘em off on this occasion. And then they close by laying waste to all and sundry with a pulverising, guitar-scrambling, neck-snapping take on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRKAiInwyYQ" target="_blank">‘Rockin’ In The Free World’</a> that does justice to Neil Young’s frothing rage.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">In short, <i>Blood Brothers – Live In Canada</i> is 78 minutes of electrifyin' bluesifyin’ from two of the good guys, and you need it in your life. But check your insurance, because it may indeed blow your bloody doors off.<br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><i>Blood Brothers – Live In Canada</i> is out now on Gulf Coast Records.</span></span></span></div>Iain Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632802738054727809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566179647656780321.post-22713171484166303132023-12-07T07:45:00.000-08:002023-12-22T03:37:41.224-08:00Robert Connely Farr - Pandora Sessions<div><span style="font-family: arial;">We’re talking down and dirty, people. And I don’t mean some kind of greasy boogie. I mean a corner of some juke joint you’ve stumbled into after losing your way in the dark, and losing your boots too, god knows how; and there's no floorboards and you can feel the dust messing up the soles of your feet; and there’s some guy over there with a guitar groaning like he needs a doctor. <i>That</i> kind of down and dirty. And yeah, that fella with the battered six-string may well be Mississippi-born Robert Connely Farr.<br /><span lang="EN-GB">I mean, there is a groove to the cheerfully titled opener ‘Everybody’s Dyin (Oh Lord I’m Getting Old)’, but it’s a primitive sounding thing, chugging and rattling and wheezing along while Farr growls his despair until it eventually expires. And I’ve described Farr’s guitar sound as “warped” before, when reviewing his previous album <i><a href="http://www.bluesenthused.com/2022/11/robert-connely-farr-shake-it.html" target="_blank">Shake It</a></i>, but it’s still a good fit for the bent and <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI878ShBLKa5kiZynYl77_bG238gHvf0RZS9bPfW7rPPLhxUO8B9z7RB3yg2rsZHabQmmOQ9XMVJ-T8pRTfh0rBFvCSeG3ZSdXMx8stwuCCs5JJPDY6jpVBU0Etvo8SADX7w3scZ_AX-5w60SQfCfknWjujC5cXgkFvBZlxOs2uaiN2JuOgCYh4hPeVw8/s4096/Pandora%20Sessions%20-%20Connely%20and%20Jay%20-%20Tyler%20McLeod%20Photo.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI878ShBLKa5kiZynYl77_bG238gHvf0RZS9bPfW7rPPLhxUO8B9z7RB3yg2rsZHabQmmOQ9XMVJ-T8pRTfh0rBFvCSeG3ZSdXMx8stwuCCs5JJPDY6jpVBU0Etvo8SADX7w3scZ_AX-5w60SQfCfknWjujC5cXgkFvBZlxOs2uaiN2JuOgCYh4hPeVw8/w552-h367/Pandora%20Sessions%20-%20Connely%20and%20Jay%20-%20Tyler%20McLeod%20Photo.JPG" width="552" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Robert Connely Farr and Jay Bundy Johnson - sharp dressed men<br /><div style="text-align: right;">Pic by Tyler McLeod</div></span></td></tr></tbody></table>twisted notes that struggle to mesh with the dragging rhythm laid down by Jay Bundy Johnson on ‘Prowler’, while Farr drawls spooky musings about heading to Chattanooga and Vicksburg.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">These guys’ modus operandi is very much less is more – as Farr puts it, “you set up, start playing, and the songs come”. Now, you could call that jamming, but it sounds more organic, like that ol’ Zen poem: “I fetch water. I break sticks. Miracles happen!” Or not, maybe, when the instrumental <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIOBPlGzATA&list=OLAK5uy_muHY_kJODHRV3C7A1orpSeVaLcJLThvHU&index=4" target="_blank">‘Runnin Hidin Jam’</a>, with its clanking percussion and abrasive guitar, sounds less like the path to enlightenment than scratching your head with a cheese grater. In a good way, mind you. And ironically, considering its title, ‘Take It Slow’ is also relatively upbeat – relatively, I say – with its spiky guitar and stop-start drums combining in a lurching groove.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">On the other hand, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8OCJRmJqeU" target="_blank">‘Gettin Tired Of Gettin Old’</a> is contemplative, with low down, slowly spiralling guitar notes and prickly chords as the foundation for Farr’s world-weariness. Meanwhile ‘Night Train’ sho’ ain’t no James Brown cover, with stuttering, twanging guitar over the pattering drums sketching out a loose rhythm. Similarly ‘Train Keep Rollin’ bears no relation to the Yardbirds or (heaven help us) Aerosmith, but features some geezer riding the rails who “Ain’t got nowhere to go”, to the accompaniment of Farr’s guitar looping and scrabbling like barbed wire tangled across no-man’s land. And if you think the bonus track ‘Go Cat Go’ might be a bit of rock’n’roll then think again, because it finds Farr moaning “I bet I’m gonna walk now I bet I’m gonna Go Cat Go” over stumbling drums and fuzzy guitar, sounding trapped and ever more frustrated, like a prisoner on Death Row willing a pardon to turn up before the clock ticks down to midnight.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Less is more, like I said, and on <i>Pandora Sessions</i> Farr and his drummer/producer Johnson pretty much dispense with the bass that gave an extra layer to earlier albums. Hell, they scarcely bother with drums on the bleak, droning ‘Where I Come From’, while ‘Oh Lord’ is boiled right down to a rolling guitar line and a plaintive, moaning mantra from Farr.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">So sure, <i>Pandora Sessions</i> is nobody’s barrel of laughs. And being honest, a few tunes are just a bit too under-nourished to latch onto. But let yourself fall into it, follow Farr into its heart of darkness, and even if you don’t like it there’s something you’ll recognise. It’s the blues, Jack.<br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><i>Pandora Sessions</i> is out now.</span></span></span></div>Iain Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632802738054727809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566179647656780321.post-4066431015430819252023-12-04T10:52:00.000-08:002024-02-24T04:25:55.677-08:00Bernie Marsden - Working Man<span style="font-family: arial;">When Bernie Marsden died back in August, at the age of 72, it felt to me that it was untimely, that he’d gone too soon. The fact that he’d just completed this album of new material earlier in the summer underlines that feeling. He was still, in the words of the album title, a working man – still making music. So it’s sad to be thinking of him in the past tense when getting to grips with this collection.<br /><span lang="EN-GB">His name has always been associated with blues and blues-rock, but don’t come to <i>Working Man</i> those styles to dominate. In fact just two of the 12 tracks on the album walk in the shadow of the blues, as it were. The mid-paced opener <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i497iQk8gK8" target="_blank">‘Being Famous’</a> strides in with a crunching riff <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPqho79taADw2qUblWHndIhLNbsNFS0Q0QCaSwVBB8_PGH_sv_rRBu6M5YrsMyfaAOxqqAAC4PFwDStuOpufkNlHH26mSXhZ6NoYFPWvHpI6EgnIOTO3MB_gIRbQn_B15cB46uGQ-l2njwcnjO3pq9agWaMuWwMA6Llt1YaVrUyhJZ-r_DKmUkMPyOwyE/s690/bernie%20live%20beast%20adam%20kennedy%20copy.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="690" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPqho79taADw2qUblWHndIhLNbsNFS0Q0QCaSwVBB8_PGH_sv_rRBu6M5YrsMyfaAOxqqAAC4PFwDStuOpufkNlHH26mSXhZ6NoYFPWvHpI6EgnIOTO3MB_gIRbQn_B15cB46uGQ-l2njwcnjO3pq9agWaMuWwMA6Llt1YaVrUyhJZ-r_DKmUkMPyOwyE/w484-h368/bernie%20live%20beast%20adam%20kennedy%20copy.jpeg" width="484" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bernie Marsden - a working man with tool of his trade<br /><div style="text-align: right;">Pic by Adam Kennedy</div></span></td></tr></tbody></table>and some wiry lead lines, announcing a strong tune about the high life lived by rock stars back in the day,<br />Bernie’s punchy vocal backed up nicely by female voices. Is it startlingly original? No, it’s not – but it is very satisfying. And so, later on, is the strutting, edgy ‘Bad Reputation’, with its piercing solo. It’s a song to make you wish David Coverdale, with his stronger vocal muscle (in his better days at least), had still had Marsden’s skills at his disposal all these years.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">These may be the only out-and-out blues-rockers on the album proper, but if you want more in the same vein, then grab the limited first pressing which comes with a bonus album of ten tracks. Here you’ll find a couple more rockers in the shape of ‘Look At Me Now’ and ‘Who’s Fooling Who’, which both come with tough, gutsy riffs, especially the latter. Bernie knocks out an effortlessly classy solo on ‘Look At Me Know’, and on ‘Who’s Fooling Who’ leaves room for a powerful, surging organ solo, which I’m guessing is delivered by Bob Fridzema.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Back on the main album, Marsden goes down a more melodic, AOR-ish road on several tracks, such as ‘Midtown’, ‘Invisible’ and ‘Valentine’s Day’. The first of these starts out acoustic-led, and when it changes gear suggests Toto as much as anything bluesy, with lots of backing vocals (male this time) giving it an extra sheen. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-m1CFhQcuU" target="_blank">‘Invisible’</a> has a thumping beat, a swaggering riff, and some squealing lead guitar notes, and with guest vocalist Jaime Kyle at the mic comes over like something by Pat Benatar. Meanwhile ‘Valentine’s Day’ is romantic but upbeat as Bernie urges “Stay with me darling, hold onto my hand”, and gives the song a little twist with a harmonised guitar break. And on top of these, the title track has its own lush, melodic rock vibe to go with to with some sympathetic story-telling about a character experiencing “hard times for a working man”.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">There are also a couple of brief instrumentals exploring different vibes, with ‘Steelhouse Mountain’ going down a folkie/bluesy road leaning on shimmering acoustic guitar and some pinging lead, while ‘The Pearl’ is a more fluid, mellow affair, like a soundtrack of waves rippling on a beach.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Back on the bonus album meanwhile, the most interesting departures are on the closing three tracks, comprising fresh readings of the Whitesnake tracks ‘Til The Day I Die’ and ‘Time Is Right For Love’, and the Robert Johnson classic ‘Come On In My Kitchen’. On all of these Tom Leary contributes violin to a largely stripped back sound. So <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3e1mvkNqw4" target="_blank">‘Til The Day I Die’</a> acquires an occasional Celtic air, dreamy rather than brooding, while ‘Time Is Right For Love’ lopes along gently, and on ‘Come On In My Kitchen’ the scraping violin and reverb-tinged vocal create an eerie feel over the top of the subtle rhythmic groove.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Over the course of the two discs there’s nearly 90 minutes of music to get your ears around, and yes, the quality dips a little in places. But there’s still plenty to demonstrate the quality of Bernie Marsden’s songwriting, guitar playing, and ability to interpret songs in fresh ways. The man may be gone, but he’s left lots of music that lives on.<br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB"><i>Working Man</i> is released by Conquest Music on 8 December.</span></span></span>Iain Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632802738054727809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566179647656780321.post-12560958229461531472023-11-24T09:24:00.000-08:002023-12-22T03:41:07.792-08:00Philip Sayce - Oran Mor, Glasgow, 23 November 2023<div><span style="font-family: arial;">Philip Sayce comes onstage sporting a fetching hat, and with a scarf dangling from the bottom of the 1963 Stratocaster he calls Big Daddy. He embarks on a bit of star-spangled lead guitar fluttering just to get warmed up, and then bursts into the choppy, neck-snapping, crunking, and frankly irresistible ‘Out Of My Mind’. He cracks out a couple of hair-raising guitar breaks, then encourages a bit of handclapping, at which point I half-expect him to drawl “Move over Rover, and let Philip take over.” You know what I’m talkin’ about? But instead he dives into a grinding riff as the launchpad for a rollercoaster of finger-blurring, sky scraping fretwork, and ultimately a whammy bar cranking close.<br /><span lang="EN-GB">You get the picture? Philip Sayce is a five star, 24 carat axe fandangler, with a Hendrix influence<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1wKa8l1WDVQlP8n48TWjF-Tb7G3wnLxvAVfpUOnEurfEjj5KbRg9iM_pi0hCqI6lC019dpnBea0UR1u8KMj_serTD6edLFXEEVEcwuZF33l3WD_xCdOeBaiQlmhjhdbzF8ePg3j4FXANJhBJl_x6OGNsCdrAIDqM3AQNOvzKVFrBdBPiOJAwqX7blvBs/s3638/IMG_0798%20phil%20hand%20blur%20copy.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3594" data-original-width="3638" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1wKa8l1WDVQlP8n48TWjF-Tb7G3wnLxvAVfpUOnEurfEjj5KbRg9iM_pi0hCqI6lC019dpnBea0UR1u8KMj_serTD6edLFXEEVEcwuZF33l3WD_xCdOeBaiQlmhjhdbzF8ePg3j4FXANJhBJl_x6OGNsCdrAIDqM3AQNOvzKVFrBdBPiOJAwqX7blvBs/w450-h444/IMG_0798%20phil%20hand%20blur%20copy.jpg" width="450" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Philip Sayce - the quickness of the hand deceives the eye</span></td></tr></tbody></table> pinned proudly on his sleeve, whose <i>raison d’être</i> is to try and set fire to that venerable ol’ Strat with just his fingertips. And to anyone who might be inclined to sneer at that, I’d just say this – he does it very, very entertainingly.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Using a grinding blues intro as a springboard for the punchy rock-funk of ‘Powerful Thing’, he bounces around like an excitable puppy to the jabs and thrusts of rock solid drummer Bryan Head and bassist Sam Bolle, evidently having a whale of a time himself. Then on the rolling stomp of ‘Bitter Monday’ – which, like several other tunes here, has a plenty infectious hook – he squeezes out a squelchy wah-wah solo, before letting loose a big drone of feedback, then fanning the strings with his right hand in a way fit to give him friction burns.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">The way that howl of feedback gets a cheer of its own is testament to the healthy quotient of guitar fanatics in the house, and as the set progresses it’s clear their Christmas has come early. Personally, as our Phil embarks on the slow, spacey blues of ‘Once’, with a whammy-warping opening to his solo, I’m fixated on two questions: a) does he use a pick? And b), if he does, where does it disappear to when he doesn’t? It takes me half the show to be sure that yes, he does put a plectrum to work alongside his apparently double-jointed fingers, and the rest of the set to spot the sleight of hand with which he tucks it away.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">But y’know, it’s also only fair to note that the fella has a good voice, showing off great phrasing on an SRV-like reading of ‘Blues Ain’t Nothin’ But A Good Woman On Your Mind’. And he shows<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwD6frsFgvyBGdEzf9TY5aG8c6IDdNJRXqaSDFxcdyzVSEXi2NZAMRVys4t7wW28TK09YlqYSKs-WNX8_fwOEuxsRIQPa92lCL64tG0dgqODNLu-vqEY1iGsbJ74i0WgWSbG-Yz70fASH3Z6uTxNhCJRolSo9fP643AGHnxGcszmiHiPJS1H7NmXPrhY/s2395/IMG_0810%20no%20strap%20copy.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2395" data-original-width="2217" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwD6frsFgvyBGdEzf9TY5aG8c6IDdNJRXqaSDFxcdyzVSEXi2NZAMRVys4t7wW28TK09YlqYSKs-WNX8_fwOEuxsRIQPa92lCL64tG0dgqODNLu-vqEY1iGsbJ74i0WgWSbG-Yz70fASH3Z6uTxNhCJRolSo9fP643AGHnxGcszmiHiPJS1H7NmXPrhY/w331-h358/IMG_0810%20no%20strap%20copy.jpg" width="331" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Big Daddy goes strapless</span></td></tr></tbody></table> a handy way with a rhythmic vocal too, on ‘Beautiful’, another chunk of stop-time funk into which they pump a pint of very ‘Hey Joe’-like bassy riffing.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Sayce is capable of slowing things down, as on ‘Aberystwyth’ (named after his birthplace) with its nicely developed themes, and the meditative ‘5.55’. Bursts of scurrying prestidigitation are never too far away though, much as I might wish he could cool his jets and show a bit more patience at times. He does show a handy way with some volume controlled weeping on ‘5.55’ though, along with a spell of near-silent picking <i>à la</i> Alan Nimmo of King King.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">The closing stretch brings more tough stop-start funkiness in the form of ‘Morning Star’, with its whirlpool of a solo. It segues into ‘Spanish Castle Magic’ in monster riffing fashion just to underline the Jimi influence, Sayce whipping Big Daddy from his shoulders to scrape the neck off the low ceiling, which really is no way to treat an expensive musical instrument (© <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q8f-XTeZ3I" target="_blank">Jim Steinman</a>). Needless to say, the crowd go nuts.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">They encore with ‘As The Years Go Passing By’, a song recalled from his days working with Jeff Healey many moons ago, though I’d have preferred him to render it with Gary Moore’s restraint. But hey, they rock out with ‘I’m Going Home’ to finish on a decisive upbeat note, Sayce even taking a wander off stage – though not far, ‘cause his Strat ain’t cordless, remember?<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">On one level the whole focus on wang dang guitar wrangling isn’t entirely my thing. I’d prefer a bit more focus on the songs, and a bit more structure. On the other hand though – hot damn but Philip Sayce puts on a show.</span></span></div>Iain Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632802738054727809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566179647656780321.post-40916500770729069612023-11-20T08:54:00.000-08:002023-12-22T03:34:21.029-08:00King King - Liquid Rooms, Edinburgh, 19 November 2023<div><span style="font-family: arial;">Maybe it’s the compact venue. Maybe it’s the clear but beefy sound. Maybe it’s something indefinable. But whatever it is, King King’s mojo is well and truly working right from the git-go. On record the opening ‘Dance Together’ is a pleasing chunk of funky fun, but not tonight. Tonight it’s a big fat statement of intent, the two Les Pauls of Alan and Stevie Nimmo harmonising on the intro, before Jonny Dyke’s organ rips in to whip things up. And when he gets round to it, Alan Nimmo’s solo squeals like a thing possessed. Welcome back, my friends.<br /><span lang="EN-GB"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPjfNxJIRSbGO84GHJrrLmJ60n429tqT1TBWG9opXcYseiUc6BGp5rEqR5FHW-EVWNkbhszATqgFaEWY9d_WwyEvrrR2bY-On5JsiwPanoDpWrey6-XkkA5XjmdZzPrJ2N-Y8DWzOAMDwvM7fKvhGCCgcgYv0bD_lC1et0prYbRwCKawhWgc7WWYzxjtA/s3448/IMG_0766%20alan%20eyes%20shut%20copy.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3448" data-original-width="3075" height="497" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPjfNxJIRSbGO84GHJrrLmJ60n429tqT1TBWG9opXcYseiUc6BGp5rEqR5FHW-EVWNkbhszATqgFaEWY9d_WwyEvrrR2bY-On5JsiwPanoDpWrey6-XkkA5XjmdZzPrJ2N-Y8DWzOAMDwvM7fKvhGCCgcgYv0bD_lC1et0prYbRwCKawhWgc7WWYzxjtA/w443-h497/IMG_0766%20alan%20eyes%20shut%20copy.jpg" width="443" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Alan Nimmo senses the traditional bagginess of the kilt</span></td></tr></tbody></table>‘Long Time Running’ is a blues-rocking blast, with those two Les Pauls packing a serious rhythm guitar wallop, and on a crunching rendition of ‘Heed The Warning’ they’re tight-tight-tight all the way to the guitar harmony ending. Then they show their sensitive side on ‘By Your Side’, with bluesy guitar over delicate piano on the intro, and poignant harmonies that exhibit just one of the benefits of bringing Stevie Nimmo into the fold. And then the song metamorphoses into a power ballad with the emphasis on power, capped by a howling Alan Nimmo solo.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Emotional epics are of course a King King trademark. Not widescreen, cinematic tales, but songs that give expression to life’s challenges. ‘Long History Of Love’ is one of the best songs in this vein you’ll find anywhere - the first King King song I ever heard, still my favourite in their repertoire, and tonight given a terrific reading - with Alan Nimmo on excellent vocal form despite evidently being irritated by a slight cough. ‘Whatever It Takes To Survive’ is another, more defiant example from their latest album <i><a href="http://www.bluesenthused.com/2020/10/king-king-maverick.html" target="_blank">Maverick</a></i>, tonight dedicated to still-recovering Thunder singer Danny Bowes. Easing in with downbeat images of isolation and despair, it then surges into a promise of hope with what is, tonight, a chorus that sounds well and truly massive. And that chorus gets reworked into an all too brief zinger of a twin guitar attack from the Nimmo brothers. More of this kind of thing please, fellas! Meanwhile, ‘Rush Hour’ may have become one of the traditional moments for the King King choir to exercise their lungs, but it begins with contemplation of everyday pressures before swelling into its gutsy “You believe in me” exclamation.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">There are singalong moments on ‘You’ll Stop The Rain’ too, which nowadays comes with a huge <i>a cappella</i> intro. It doesn’t go in for light-and-shade dynamics like the songs mentioned above, but as an impassioned expression of sympathy to an ailing loved one, it simply takes off into<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4XmHHDaqfWLtRDq8IgIcoIUm98tIqcT4reYM3As4J2OKRl1lPoQ7qE1a6hStlGdGKe12yO4FJM5qxqVcrwIlsZaXqbYHVhP_EDpIcPBmcLIvj2PeOwJe7APANCylSlSUFJDwfowB-sfcY1XA3OmaEGpCKeiu6XRgg0uVvGR0gy9hixr68HN87VBy5Pcc/s2643/IMG_0785%20twin%20attack%20smile%20copy.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2422" data-original-width="2643" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4XmHHDaqfWLtRDq8IgIcoIUm98tIqcT4reYM3As4J2OKRl1lPoQ7qE1a6hStlGdGKe12yO4FJM5qxqVcrwIlsZaXqbYHVhP_EDpIcPBmcLIvj2PeOwJe7APANCylSlSUFJDwfowB-sfcY1XA3OmaEGpCKeiu6XRgg0uVvGR0gy9hixr68HN87VBy5Pcc/w444-h406/IMG_0785%20twin%20attack%20smile%20copy.jpg" width="444" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Brothers in arms</span></td></tr></tbody></table>another dimension through Alan Nimmo’s solo, while drummer Andrew Scott gives his kit a fearful hammering for thunderous emphasis.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">But amid all the emotional heave-ho there’s also the togetherness and fun that Alan Nimmo has always brought to the table, the sense of being reunited with long-standing pals, having a laugh. Responding to a malfunction with Jonny Dyke’s keyboard set-up that necessitates a technical pause, he observes that “Our tech guy’s away working with Michael Schenker – fucking traitor!” Welcoming “newbies” among the audience he laments that they’ve taken so long to come on board: “I was young and good-looking when we started this!” And as he’s introducing ‘You’ll Stop The Rain’ he casually mentions that it’s actually brother Stevie’s birthday, resulting in a spontaneous chorus of ‘Happy Birthday To You’.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">And speaking of Stevie, he delivers a wowser of a guitar showcase on the funk-inflected set closer ‘I Will Not Fall’, as a precursor to an electrifying tandem guitar break. More of this kind of thing, please! (Did I say that already?)<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">They come back for just the one encore, with another matters-of-the-heart epic in ‘Stranger To Love’, replete with Alan’s patented <i>sotto voce</i> guitar picking spot, and peaking with he and drummer Andrew Scott going at it hammer and tongs as it reaches its climax.<br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">I wasn’t there when Alan Nimmo set out on his King King journey back in 2008, but I’ve seen them live plenty of times over the last 8 years, and this was the performance of theirs I’ve enjoyed most for a while. Sure, I might have liked a sneak preview of a new song or two, but all in good time. For now I sense this line-up have discovered some deeper gears, and fresh possibilities, that hold out the promise of even better things to come. Bring on the new album, guys!</span></span></div>Iain Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632802738054727809noreply@blogger.com0