Devon Allman’s Honeytribe – Space Age Blues (Provogue)

When you see the name Allman then you know that you are in for some top guitar playing and Devon carries the family name with panache. Space Age Blues is the follow up to the highly acclaimed 2006 debut, Torch, and is a step in the right direction for Gregg’s son and his band. Could Get Dangerous shows that his voice has matured and, when added to fuzzed guitars, harmonica (from Huey Lewis) and a good dose of funk, makes for an excellent opener. The eponymous title track follows with a sultry saxophone introduction. It turns heavy quite quickly and shows both the rough and smooth sides of Honeytribe. Salvation is marked by Allman’s deep, dulcet tones and the soulful, heartfelt vibes are counterbalanced by the screeching saxophone of Ron Holloway. Stevie Wonder songs are often covered but I don’t think that I’ve ever heard anyone doing Sir Duke. So, was the decision to include this brave or foolhardy? Unfortunately, I think that it’s the latter with his voice not up to the mark and the lack of horns and minimum input from keyboards detracting from the overall feel. Endless Diamond is a grinding blues influenced rocker but although this is his forte, the guitar is too far in the background for my liking. It’s not all electric on the album as the acoustic instrumental Blue Est Le Vide shows. This showcases his intricate acoustic guitar work and they stay in the acoustic area for the follow up, Warm In Wintertime which is a bit of a strange one. It’s a rock ballad in parts but the funky lead guitar is a bit in competition with the strings in the background. New Pet Monkey is a standard rock offering but they are back on form with I’m Ready. The funky guitar and snappy drums make this a highlight. Honeytribe is ramping it up towards the finish and Take Me To The Bridge is an excellent example of funk rock. They close with Insh’Allah, Eastern influenced as you would expect from the title. This is held together by the drums of Gabriel Strange as Allman enjoys himself on this instrumental finish. There are a number of different phases to the song as he varies the tempo before the whole thing finishes on synth and goes all space-agey.

http://www.provoguerecords.com/
David Blue.

Dave Arcari – Devils Left Hand (Buzz Records).

The eponymous title track is not as manic as he has been known to be in the past. This is more deliberate and his Scots accent comes over all the more heavily. Is this a ploy to gain more fans from the less hardcore group, whilst keeping his Scottish fans? Can’t Be Satisfied is an oldie re-done. It is still edgy and you just feel that danger is just lurking beneath the surface. Controlled aggression seems to be Dave’s approach now. The sedate Devil’s Deal has Arcari’s trademark guitar and he goes off in the Robert Burns direction not for the first time on MacPherson’s Lament – Scottish blues – ye cannae whack it! Blue Train is a country/blues crossover with a guttural vocal from Arcari but he’s back to a more standard blues with the laid back Trouble In Mind and Robert Johnson’s Come On In My Kitchen. However, nothing is really standard when Dave is about and the latter gets the full Arcari treatment and this makes it so different from most of the versions of this often covered song that you’ll hear. Cotton On My Back is the type of song that Dave Arcari does so well. It’s a simple melody which is well played. Hangman’s Blues has an echoed vocal to open with but that soon fades into a full sound with the story told from two points of view. One Side Blind is another oldie and listening to some of these old Radiotones songs brings me to the conclusion that not all of them are successful as solo efforts. Perhaps a return to the band to add different levels to the music for a while and maybe a new Radiotones release would be a good idea. Texicali Waltz is a true waltz, and a quick one at that! This is inneuendo laden and more like the old Arcari although he does give us a chorus here, not something you get too often. He closes with Dragonfly and he stays in his old style, loud, brash and dangerous. This has almost prehistoric sounds and the stomping blues is an excellent finish which leaves you gasping for more.

http://www.davearcari.com/
http://www.thebuzzgroup.co.uk/

David Blue.

Dani Wilde – Shine (Ruf Records).

Shine is Dani Wilde’s second international release and features 9 self written songs alongside 2 covers. The eponymous title track opens proceedings and it almost has a Gospel feel to it. When Dani adds a gritty vocal and Will ‘Harmonica’ Wilde adds harmonica, surprisingly enough, the song flows well – renowned producer, Mike Vernon, adds percussion. Another legend, Pete Wingfield, contributes piano to Some Kinda Crazy, which is a slow, strolling blues. Dani’s guitar rings like a bell as she shares lead guitar responsibilities with Ben Poole and although she has lost a little of her youthful exuberance she has a new found maturity. She covers The Rolling Stones classic, Miss You and she is brave to do so. I always thought that it should have had a female vocal what with Jagger’s falsetto taking you most of the way there on the original. This is more than passable and captures the feel of the original with Will Wilde outstanding on harmonica. How Do You Do It is piano led (Wingfield again) and harmonies abound. This is a powerful performance from Wilde although she keeps the guitar under control. Red Blooded Woman begins with just Dani and guitar before the band joins in for a classic mid-paced blues. Dani keeps is simple and effective and this is the songs strong point.

Don’t Give Up On Me turns away from the blues. This is a soft rock ballad with a big guitar solo – standard stuff, well done. I Don’t Even Care is a blues rock tale of love gone wrong and its hard hitting message is don’t stand in this lady’s way! Abandoned Child is a classy, slow blues with strong guitar and warbling harp. It is suitably dark, given the title. Wilde’s voice has grown significantly. She plays well in conjunction with her brother Will on harp on Born To Love Him and this has been a theme throughout the album. This bouncing blues has a feel good aura. Where Blue Begins has a snappy snare, piercing guitar and its mellow R&B tones are strangely familiar although I haven’t heard the Dana Gillespie version. Big Brown Eyes is acoustic, not a direction she chooses very often, and sounds a bit Joni Mitchell. This is a beautiful song where she pours her heart out and is completely different from the rest of the tracks.

Dani Wilde has delivered a second album of some quality.

http://www.rufrecords.de/

David Blue.