Thursday, March 27, 2008


John Power – Stormbringer (Tanuki Tanuki).

John Power, for those who don’t recognise the name, was the bass player and public face of The Las’s and frontman of Cast whose album, All Change, was the biggest and fastest selling debut album in the history of Polydor Records. However, that was 13 years ago, don’t you feel old, and he has now put out an album that he considers to be “the most comfortable, wind-in-my-sails recordings I’ve done…it’s folk music, grassroots music”. He opens with Ain’t No Woman, which has a rasping tone to the vocal and he certainly gets some venom into it. It is unmistakably Liverpudlian and follows on well from his La’s days. Calling You Back has a homemade and bluesy feel and allows him so much freedom. American Dream has slide guitar, which re-visits the blues feel and it is lyrically strong and rustic. The title track is played in a jug band style and still has that thread of blues running through it. Distant Eyes is a different style – a more traditional folk tune this time. It is understated and brilliant – he has certainly hit a new, rich vein of form. Good Life is back to basics again – short and snappy. Fire In My Heart has him flirting with folk music again and this is a dirge in the truest sense of the word. Tombstone lifts the beat, despite the title and Cockerel Crow has a strange up and down timing. Come In The Morning has a little brass backing – a cross between colliery bands and New Orleans. It still has that easy, homemade comfortable feel and has a mixture of styles including a little yodel. Power may have just found himself another little cult niche.

http://www.thisisrude.com/
http://www.johnpower.uk.com/

David Blue.

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