Chicken Legs Weaver – Nowhere (Riverside Records).

Chicken Legs Weaver (a band, not a person) have had their debut album produced by the legendary Johnny Dowd and he has allowed them to stamp their personality all over it. They have come up with 12 original tracks of brooding blues that make them sound like recording veterans. Frontman Andy Weaver growls out his vocal on the opener, Paper Houses, which is full of grungy slide guitar and snappy drums. In The Ground is dark, moody and wonderful and the Country influenced Love Locked continues the grungy feel to the start of the album. The very powerful Desert Rose is packed with old style blues shouting and sleek guitar. Billboard Queen with its upright bass from Norton Lees is easy going by Chicken Legs standards but it still has that air of menace just bubbling under the surface. Gritty blues return in the shape of Your Enemy Cannot Harm You and the now obligatory punk elements and excellent slide guitar are to the fore. Weaver gives his all on vocals, as he does on all of the songs.

Howling Road is, compared to the others, quite sedate but normal service is resumed with Spring Isn’t Coming This Year, not a blues as such but a good rock song anyway. Some people may feel Weaver’s voice a bit overpowering though and may prefer to listen to the album in short bursts. Stump John & The Owl sets off at a pedestrian pace and although it tells a fine story it has little impact. They are back to form on A Mile Out Of Town with Weavers snarling vocal a particular highlight. Zombiefied is about a hangover in parts and if this is what a hangover feels like them I’m glad I don’t have them very often. This song takes you to a very dark place. The album closes with the classy, acoustic alt country of Sheol Station. This track with vocal, guitar and backing vocal only has as much impact as any of the more powerful punk blues tracks.

Chicken Legs Weaver is the dark side of the blues. In fact, if the blues were Star Wars then Chicken Legs Weaver would be Darth Vader himself.

http://www.chickenlegsweaver.net/

Copyright David Blue 2006.