Mitch Laddie – This Time Around (Provogue).
A North-East of England native, Mitch Laddie is just 19 years of age. When you hear this album you will share my complete shock and awe at the talent of this boy at this age. He’s only been playing the guitar seriously for 6 years and learned his chops by copying the riffs of Mark Knopfler, Dave Gilmour and Jimi Hendrix. However, his love of the blues was kindled when he heard Stevie Ray Vaughan. A listen to BB, Freddie and Albert King, Albert Collins and many others focused him on the genre. Walter Trout invited him to play at one of his gigs in 2006 (he was only 15 or 16) and his life changed forever. His debut solo album opens with Awakening (intro), which starts like a leviathan rising from his sleep. Laddie builds layer upon layer before unleashing a pulsating, rocking instrumental. He is technically superb as he slashes his guitar. The smouldering Here’s A Drink is bluesy but shows that vocally, he is still a bit raw. However, he has all the attributes and stands up to the current best in the genre. Get You Back is a hi-paced blues from an exciting new kid on the block but he slows it down again for I Need Your Love. Float On By has a staccato delivery but shows that he is a real talent. He keeps the solos on this to a good length, something he doesn’t always do. Punchy drums and piercing bass from Lee ‘Cliffy’ Clifford and Rhian Wilkinson respectively. Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag is not as frenetic as the James Brown original but he does make it his own – not an easy thing to do with a song like this.
The eponymous title track has funky beats as he puts his soul into it with his wailing guitar a stand out. There is a barrage of notes at times and he may have to take up the new Joe Bonamassa philosophy that sometimes less is more. Miss Supernatural has pounding drums and sustained guitar opening this full on rocker with fuzzed vocal. Two Years is an upbeat swinging blues with stinging guitar whereas Mr Johnson is a complex instrumental that shows his fretboard skills. The latter is perhaps a tad long at 6 minutes but that’s only a small criticism. All I Have has a pleading vocal -- a bit mainstream but in the upper echelons. Rock Me Baby is the old BB King song and this live version with Walter Trout is turned into a slow, driving blues with guitars a plenty (10 minutes of them). It’s good to hear what he’s like live as I intend to seek out his next visit north of the border immediately.
http://www.provoguerecords.com/
http://www.mitchladdie.com/
David Blue.
A North-East of England native, Mitch Laddie is just 19 years of age. When you hear this album you will share my complete shock and awe at the talent of this boy at this age. He’s only been playing the guitar seriously for 6 years and learned his chops by copying the riffs of Mark Knopfler, Dave Gilmour and Jimi Hendrix. However, his love of the blues was kindled when he heard Stevie Ray Vaughan. A listen to BB, Freddie and Albert King, Albert Collins and many others focused him on the genre. Walter Trout invited him to play at one of his gigs in 2006 (he was only 15 or 16) and his life changed forever. His debut solo album opens with Awakening (intro), which starts like a leviathan rising from his sleep. Laddie builds layer upon layer before unleashing a pulsating, rocking instrumental. He is technically superb as he slashes his guitar. The smouldering Here’s A Drink is bluesy but shows that vocally, he is still a bit raw. However, he has all the attributes and stands up to the current best in the genre. Get You Back is a hi-paced blues from an exciting new kid on the block but he slows it down again for I Need Your Love. Float On By has a staccato delivery but shows that he is a real talent. He keeps the solos on this to a good length, something he doesn’t always do. Punchy drums and piercing bass from Lee ‘Cliffy’ Clifford and Rhian Wilkinson respectively. Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag is not as frenetic as the James Brown original but he does make it his own – not an easy thing to do with a song like this.
The eponymous title track has funky beats as he puts his soul into it with his wailing guitar a stand out. There is a barrage of notes at times and he may have to take up the new Joe Bonamassa philosophy that sometimes less is more. Miss Supernatural has pounding drums and sustained guitar opening this full on rocker with fuzzed vocal. Two Years is an upbeat swinging blues with stinging guitar whereas Mr Johnson is a complex instrumental that shows his fretboard skills. The latter is perhaps a tad long at 6 minutes but that’s only a small criticism. All I Have has a pleading vocal -- a bit mainstream but in the upper echelons. Rock Me Baby is the old BB King song and this live version with Walter Trout is turned into a slow, driving blues with guitars a plenty (10 minutes of them). It’s good to hear what he’s like live as I intend to seek out his next visit north of the border immediately.
http://www.provoguerecords.com/
http://www.mitchladdie.com/
David Blue.
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