Josh Smith – Don’t Give Up On Me (CrossCut Records).

The follow up to the acclaimed CrossCut debut, I’m Gonna Be Ready, Don’t Give Up On Me easily dispels the difficult second album syndrome. Filled with funky blues and soul such as Made For Me and the eponymous title track this album gets better with each listen. Josh is no mean guitar player and this is highlighted on the slow blues of The Middle and the Clapton-esque I’ve Always Been Good. The horn fuelled Letting You Go and Carry Me Through are standouts but the highlight is the closing track, That Ain’t Love, with its fuzzed vocal and tight guitar.

www.joshsmithguitar.com

www.crosscut.de

David Blue

The Kennedys – Closer Than You Know (Kennedys Music).

Largely unknown in the UK, Maura and Pete Kennedy have been acclaimed in the US for two decades but this is their first UK release since 1996. Close harmonies bring comparisons to The Corrs; Sign, Happy Again and Rhyme And Reason for example. U2’s Wild Honey and the Alex Chilton homage, Big Star Song reference The Byrds whilst Marina Dream is a fine example of Simon & Garfunkel style Folk. Pete’s guitar on Cradle To A Boat lifts the song and they turn to Folk Rock for Made Of Sand. Gentle folk appears on I’ll Come On Over and Winter Lies but Winter and Home are more haunting.



www.KennedysMusic.com



David Blue.



AJ Moore – Harmonics (FCL Recordings).


Debut album from the former Classical backing guitarist AJ Moore and he flits easily from Pop to Soul to Latin and Celtic. Surprisingly it is his voice that attracts more attention and this is highlighted by his strong opening on Moving On. He shows his range on the ballad Hypnotise and releases velvet tones on the smooth Soul of Just Like That. Calling You evokes thoughts of Al Stewart while Dreaming has a George Michael style delivery. Jazz influenced You Want Me hints towards The Beautiful South at times and the atmospheric, Celtic flecked Do You Like What You See is the standout track.

www.ajmooremusic.com





David Blue.

Midwich Assembly – Bewilderland (Dead Fly Recordings).

Formed in 2010, this is Midwich Assembly’s debut album. Their influences are said to be Mercury Rev, Daft Punk, Depeche Mode and The Blue Nile. However, songs such as Astronomer Royal, which harks back to Eno/Fripp/Gabriel, And Then The Summer with an exaggerated vocal that is almost Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull fame in its execution, Another Glorious Day, an acoustic instrumental in the vein of Gordon Giltrap and Everything Has To Happen, an electronic experiment that wouldn’t have sounded out of place in the 80s with its chorus very much like Tears For Fears muddy the waters. So you now have a flavour of Midwich Assembly – not easy to pigeonhole and pretty unique. Add the Crime/Thriller/Sci-Fi themes of Stranger Than and the grungy electronica of No Comedy and you have the base of a very good album, if not one that takes a few listens to come to terms with.

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

The Brew – The Third Floor (Jazzhaus Records).






Already a highly regarded live act on the Continent, The Brew are now making an assault on their native land with this, their third album. With classic rock style they unleash the opener Sirens Of War and follow it up with Six Dead, Master And The Puppeteer and Imogen Molly. Contemporary rock is in the form of Reached The Sky and Prog rock appears slightly in Crimson Crystal Raindrops. Acoustic tracks such as See You Once Again and Hard Times allows vocalist Jason Barwick to showcase his voice, albeit going a little too much towards Bono at times. Barwick is also the guitarist of the outfit and apart from his wailing solo on Master And The Puppeteer and acoustic slide on Hard Times it is the big, powerful sounds of Piper Of Greed and the solo on the title track that has him excelling. Don’t miss Kurtis Smith’s drum solo at the end of the album as it’s hidden at the end of the closing track Let It Back.



www.jazzhausrecords.com

www.the-brew.net



David Blue.

Danny Bryant’s Redeyeband –Night Life (Jazzhaus Records).

Danny Bryant is a guitar player and if you are in any doubt after the scintillating blues guitar on Tell Me then you may as well turn off the music now. Guitar comparisons to his contemporary, Joe Bonamassa, come to a head on the grinding blues rock of Heartbreaker and his voice echoes of Joe Cocker and Axl Rose on the ballad, Love Of Angels. Three covers in the shape of Master Of Disaster (John Hiatt), My Baby’s A Superstar (Buddy Guy) and Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan) sit easily beside the self-penned songs and his mastery of the audience is evident on the closing track, Always With Me. I’m surprised his guitar lasts the evening the way that it has been thrashed about.

http://www.dannybryant.com/
http://www.jazzhausrecords.com/

David Blue.

Grainne Duffy -- Test Of Time (GD Records).

Test Of Time is Irish singer songwriter Grainne Duffy’s second album and showcases her roots in blues, soul and Celtic music. Going from the soft rock of Everyday and What More Can I Do to the gritty blues rock of the grinding Rockin’ Rollin’ Stone and the churning rocker Please Take Care, there is one constant; her husky vocal. This will bring comparisons to Maggie Bell and Bonnie Raitt and neither is out of place. If you throw in the sultry, soulful Sweet Sweet Baby and the eponymous title track, which has Tom Petty style guitar sounds then you have most of what Grainne is about. However, she can do a ballad too as shown by the emotional closer, In My Arms.

Tour dates:

13/02/2012 Oxford. Famous Monday Blues Club, The Bullingdon, 162 Cowley Road

15/02/2012 London. Blues Kitchen, 111-113 Camden High Street, NW1 7JN

16/02/2012 Herts. Attic Bar, The Forum, University of Hertfordshire
http://www.grainneduffy.com/

David Blue.

The Law – Trigger (Local Boy Records).

Dundee 4 piece return with the follow up to their highly acclaimed 2009 debut, A Measure Of Wealth. Their sound has become more expansive and comparisons to many acts are there to hear on the sweeping vocals of Gimme Some Love (Fratellis & The View), the folksy rock of Holiday (Oasis), the country rock of All Over Your Mind (Fleetwood Mac/Lindsey Buckingham), My Lover (Crowded House) and Shadow (It Isn’t Me) (The La’s/Cast). Highlights are the aforementioned All Over Your Mind, Shadow (It Isn’t Me) and My Lover along with the soul searching epic, Letter.

The Law could easily be Scotland’s next big thing.

http://www.thelawmusic.com/

David Blue.

Philipp Fankhauser – Try My Love (Funk House Blues Production).

Often put in the same bracket as Chris Rea and John Mayer but not as well known, this is Swiss native Fankhauser’s twelfth album. Try My Love is a selection of sympathetically produced songs that brings out the best in him. Songs such as the big band blues of Make My Home Where I Lay My Hat sit comfortably beside soulful ballads like the eponymous title track and Please Come On Home. Production levels reach a high with one of the four live ‘encores’ , Down On Bended Knees, which has superb input from the horn section. He flirts with Country on the hidden gem, Roadhouse & Automobiles as well as with funk on It’s Gonna Rain. However, it is in the blues where Fankhauser seems happiest. This is heard on the swinging Jealous Kinda Fella, the mid-paced strolling blues of Cut Me Some Slack and Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark. Special mention has to be made of the Johnny Copeland written Flyin’ High (Yesterday), a superb quick paced stroller and is essential Philipp Fankhauser.

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

Jon Amor Blues Group – Jon Amor Blues Group (Six Six Records).

Jon Amor, formerly of The Hoax, has returned to his blues roots for this eponymous album. Opening with the gritty blues rock of Holy Water the band then serves up Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters inspired blues in the shape of Juggernaut, Make It Your Trouble and Repeat Offender, the latter of the three being a grungy pleasure. There are riffs overflowing on the R&B/Blues crossover of Sweetheart and the rocker Angel In A Black Dress. Blues rock continues on The Underdogs and She Thought I Was An Eagle but it’s the pared down gritty, slow blues of When Your Time Comes that stands out. They close with a straight down the line rocker, You Know It’s Only Love. I can’t wait for the next one!
http://www.johnamorbluesgroup.co.uk/
David Blue.

Liam Tarpey – Warm Up My Bones (Own Label).

Inspired to take up guitar at the age of 6 by hearing his cousin’s Pink Floyd albums, Liam Tarpey found his love of the blues in his teenage years. A music degree followed and during his time at University he managed to write, produce and record three solo albums. After basing himself in Spain he toured relentlessly and began to write songs for Warm Up My Bones. This begins with On My Neck, which is a high energy opener with a flurry of notes from Tarpey’s guitar. An instrumental blues/R&B crossover and a promising start. Krypto Blues is a Status Quo type rocking boogie and good fun at that too. The eponymous title track is a rough and ready blues – moody and wonderfully ragged whereas On Her Own is a slow blues with mournful vocals and classy guitar leading into a faster middle section. This is a standout and will be played again and again. There’s nothing spectacular about the high impact rocker, Lorraine but it will be one that is a crowd pleaser. It’s a showcase for his guitar and would have been a cracking closer.

Oyster Card Blues is a frantic acoustic slide offering and Let Me Know is a middle of the road, mid-paced soft rock and pretty harmless. The bouncy blues rock of Pennies has a good chorus whereas Never Again has a low key guitar and vocal opening with layers being added but it’s a strange one. The final song, Peter Panda, is a slow, atmospheric blues with clever guitar. However, it’s not my favourite as a closing track.
All in all I’m sure Liam Tarpey will be proud of this album, and with plenty of justification.
http://www.liamtarpey.com/

David Blue.

Jim Allchin – Overclocked (Sandy Key Music).

Seattle based Allchin has not taken the usual path to being a full time musician. An early sortie into the music business resulted in him giving up because he was starving. This led him to studying computer science and earning degrees at Stanford and Georgia Tech before joining Microsoft in 1990. He eventually became Co-President of the Platforms & Services Division and is a recognised leader in the world of computer science. However, he suffered a health issue in 2003 and that led him to reconsider his life and he decided to try and do the things he had regretted not following through. So he picked up his guitar again, started touring and released his debut album, Enigma, in 2009. Overclocked (which is, surprisingly enough, a computer term) is the follow up and opens with the eponymous title track. Authentic vinyl scratches make way for a clean, up tempo intro and then onto more fuzzed guitar from Allchin and overladen organ from David Gross. It’s better musically than vocally as shown by Allchin’s screaming guitar. Willow Tree is a mid paced swing blues with a good guitar solo and a better vocal. Back In The Swamp has an Albert Collins feel to it but Allchin’s guitar set up is not as clinical as Collins’. This swinging blues has a lovely piano break by the aforementioned Gross and the now standard classy guitar. Don’t Tell Me What To Do is a classy, strolling electric blues and one of the top tracks on the album whereas One For The Money is sultry with a female vocal and piercing guitar. The use of another lead vocalist is possibly a way forward for him as this has added a bit of passion.

Fall is a slow instrumental and it’s a very good vehicle for his guitar. Scorching slide guitar is added to horns and organ for the high energy impact of Dr J. This is a big track in many ways, only slightly let down by his limited vocal. Mr Unknown has some gentle 50s doo-wop stylings but Flirt has a heavier feel although he is struggling with the vocal to match. Both are satisfying tracks in their own way. Perfect Game is one of the slower tracks and is another with a female vocal, but this time not to any great effect. This isn’t his best song but the quality guitar work shines through again. There’s no mistaking the quality of his guitar work on Just Playin’ With Me, which leans towards R&R. Penultimate track, The One, is a slow night club style blues with the guitar as the star again whereas the instrumental final track, Opening My Eyes To Love, has a Spanish feel with a Santana-esque solo.

13 tracks of self-penned songs that show his song writing skills added to some sublime guitar playing makes for an entertaining album overall and one on which Allchin can build.

http://www.jimallchin.com/

David Blue.

Hokie Joint – The Music Starts To Play (Cool Buzz).

Formed in late 2007, Hokie Joint have set themselves the task of reminding Blues fans that the guitar doesn’t have to be the main instrument. The Music Starts To Play is their second album and follows on from their 2008 debut, The Way It Goes….Sometimes. They are hard to pigeonhole, going from the Folk Country of the energetic eponymous title track to Folk Rock in the form of Force Of Habit with its Rolling Stones style chorus, Aeroplane and Apologise via the more straightforward Jackie Boy. All their songs show a penchant for storytelling and they are all originals. The Blues are never far away from t5he surface but it is the Country feel to the album that comes through most on tracks such as Bang Bang, Watch What We Eat and Remington. They have managed to get away from the guitar driven stuff and it is Giles King on harmonica who is the main driving force with Bang Bang being the standout , albeit frantic, track. There is a lot of humour on the album but they can be dark and sombre with the strangely alluring This Body Of Mine being a good example. Add gutsy vocals from Jojo Burgess and the occasional guitar interlude from Joel Fisk and you have a solid base to build a lasting future.
http://www.hokiejoint.co.uk/
http://www.coolbuzz.nl/

David Blue.

John-Alex Mason – Jook Joint Thunderclap (Naked Jaybird).

The last John-Alex Mason album that I reviewed alternated between acoustic Country Blues and urban electric Blues on a track by track basis. This time he’s gone all Seasick Steve on us. My Old Lonesome Home is a raucous opener with the harp player blowing his lungs out. Cracking stuff! Gone So Long features Cody Burnside and is a chugging swamp Blues in keeping with the standard of the rest of the album. A piece of rapping from Burnside is a surprise and the overall grit of the track could make it a candidate for a TV theme tune for a series in the vein of The Wire. More Than Wind is a slow, mournful Blues and there’s a mandolin in there now in addition to the fiddle. This will draw out emotions from you. I felt sad but strangely euphoric in parts. Burnside also guests on Riding On. Do I hear a glockenspiel in there? He’s not afraid to try things out, is he? The drummer is on the pots again. All of this is over a metronomic electric Blues with a slide guitar solo that’s a tad manic in parts. However, I don’t feel that Mason is showing his full repertoire and he’s holding back for some reason. Rolled And Tumbled is a slowed down variation on Robert Johnson’s Rolling And Tumbling with harmonica, slide guitar and bongos – it works, believe me! Diamond Rain would be some women’s idea of heaven. A fiddle is added and this makes for a more Country feel, not that I’m complaining. Signifyin’ Monkey, what’s that title all about? What the song delivers is a slow, brooding deliberate blues rock with gritty guitar and an overall hypnotic feel. The percussionist sounds as if he has got the pots and pans out on Free, which is vital and vibrant. Write Me A Few Of Your Lines will make you boogie until you drop and the guitar is like a mosquito in your ear, but in a pleasant way. Whisper is an acoustic deconstructed blues. Just guitar and voice and he can carry it too. This is superb in its starkness.
This is an album of many parts, some good, some even better.

http://www.nakedjaybirdmusic.com/
http://www.johnalexmason.com/

David Blue.

Hadden Sayers – Hard Dollar (Blue Corn Music).

Once described as Houston’s best all-around rock guitarist, Hadden Sayers has had more than the average number of troubles to overcome throughout his musical career. In 2004, he was feted by record labels but bad deals followed, along with other mishaps, and he found himself out on his own. It took a final turning of his back on music and a subsequent meeting with a retired stonemason who turned up to help on a project to rebuild an old fishing shack to get him back on track. He’s now signed with Blue Corn Music and his debut opens with the good old Texas Country Rock of Take Me Back To Texas. The sleeve notes say he was thinking of Freddie King, Joe Ely and Asleep At The Wheel but mainly about home. He keeps the Texas Country Blues but slows it down for All I Want Is You. His drawl fits in perfectly although it does make it a little derivative of the style. Stabbing guitar compliments well. Back To The Blues highlights that Sayers does not have a classic Blues voice; that lies firmly in the Country genre. However, Ruthie Foster guests and turns it into a sophisticated, glitzy Blues and there is some fine guitar playing in there too. The intriguingly named InsideOutBoogie is a straightforward Country Boogie, nothing new but has the band on good form. The offbeat Lap Of Luxury follows and has an overall Blues feel to it, much like T-Bone Walker. It lumbers along effortlessly and the seamless guitar adds a touch of fluidity. I knew that we’d get a song about a car, now all we need is one about trains or prison and we’re set. Seriously, this laconic Country tune is not out of place on the album.
Sweet Texas Girls is a slick modern Country song that will challenge those who say that they don’t like Country music and make them sit up and listen. Sayers’ drawl is evident on Crush On You, an old time Country offering with a Willie Dixon Blues bass line, which is delivered in a contemporary way. If Country and Blues could get funky then it would sound like Ain’t Comin’ ‘Round No More and some of the best guitar work, with thoughts of Hubert Sumlin, on offer makes for a bit of a highlight. Hippie Getaway brings us back to Sayers’ forte, Country Blues, and this slick one is replete with punchy guitar and a fitting tribute to Lightnin’ Hopkins. He remains in the genre for the mid-paced Burnin’ Up. He strolls his way through this one with occasional fills from guitar and harmonica along with a few Howlin’ Wolf ‘hey, hey’s’ thrown in for good measure. The penultimate track, Room 155, is a slow Blues and shows that there may well be a Blues voice in there after all. This gritty epic, written to honour Sean Costello, is over 7 minutes long but time goes by very easily with scything guitar and everything going deliberately discordant at times. He closes with MoneyShot, which almost ventures into the Jazz Blues arena and he may leave himself open to accusations of trying to put too many genres on one album. Having said that, the classic Hammond organ/guitar combo, played exquisitely, makes for an excellent instrumental finish. See if you can pick out three keyboards players here.
Is there a place in the highly competitive world of modern Country/Americana music for Hadden Sayers? I think there might just be.

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

P-A-U-L – Tales From The Gravel (E&E Entertainment).

Think of Kiss mixed with Oasis and you might just about get the sound of The Time Of My Life. It’s all a bit frenetic but it’s a good opener. Forever Young And Free is a crisp funky rocker with a big bass line and a searing solo. Has he made a progression from his first two albums? Possibly, and he has managed to keep that raw edge. Pistol Whipped Again is a grungy Blues Rock with a sleazy vocal from PAUL. This one will grind you into the dirt and the free flowing solo is a highlight. Ghost Of Gun And Fist is a strange title but it turns out to be a simple Blues Rock with a strong solo. Piano ballads such as We Believe invariably turn up on this type of album but this isn’t PAUL’s finest vocal. However, things pick up when he isn’t singing alone but it’s all too long at just under 7 minutes. This could do with a reworking and keeping the best parts which all come towards the end.

Preachin’ Fire promises a straightforward rock approach and that’s what we get. It’s unashamedly of the fire and brimstone kind – if the Wee Frees liked rock then this would be their theme tune! The One is a rocking highlight where a number of styles come together perfectly. PAUL hits the spot and lets loose his guitar. The rhythm section (Joey Spina on bass and Layla Hall on drums) sets up Bite You with a deep bass and rolling drums. It’s like Fred Flintstone rocking out – Yabba Dabba Doo. I’m not too sure about the song but it has some of his best guitar work. The New Machine is another on the funky side. Hall throws everything at it and the verse reminds me a little of ZZ Top’s Cheap Sunglasses but don’t ask me why. Drinks Are On Me is a fast paced Rock N Roll and I’m sure I heard Glasgow mentioned in there somewhere. He tips his hat to Dr Feelgood and the slide guitar suits it very well. If Glasgow is mentioned then the title is not a good thing to broadcast – it’ll cost you a fortune!!

http://www.p-a-u-lmusic.com/
David Blue.

Eden Brent – Ain’t Got No Troubles (Yellow Dog Records).

Ain’t Got No Troubles is Eden Brent’s third album and contains eight self-penned songs. She opens with Someone To Love, which is a soulful R&B with a New Orleans feel to it. It has a good vibe and a stringent vocal. The eponymous title track, with New Orleans jazz stylings stamped all over it is the perfect vehicle for Brent’s sultry vocal. Her smokey voice takes us all the way to the end on Blues All Over and her slow, rolling piano is a highlight. Later Than You Think veers towards Jazz and has a lovely acoustic interlude whereas Right To Be Wrong is a guitar based Blues boogie and an extremely strong one at that. Leave Me Alone is another ballad and why not, as she is so good at them. Subtle horns (Tracy Griffin, Emile Hall and Jeff Albert) and organ (Jon Cleary) supplement the piano and guitar. The title says it all on Let’s Boogie Woogie. Colin Linden’s guitar and Eden’s piano join together to make for a very strong track. Her piano is to the fore again on My Man, a jaunty alehouse kind of song. The piano ballad, Beyond My Broken Dreams has a slightly contemporary Country touch. Eden’s vocal has shades of Maggie Bell and there is a lovely slide guitar break from the aforementioned Linden. The jazzy acoustic feel of If I Can’t sits beside I’m In Love With Your Wallet, which is a mid-paced piano boogie, Southern style, that is much reminiscent of Professor Longhair. I could be ungracious and say, typical woman but I’m not that kind of guy! Goodnight Moon is another piano ballad and another good song. It’s a different kind of song to the likes of Beyond My Broken Dreams and although she is a powerful singer she has the ability to soothe the soul.

http://www.edenbrent.com/
http://www.yellowdogrecords.com/

David Blue.

Gov’t Mule – Mulennium (Provogue).

This release is a live recording made at the Roxy Theatre, Atlanta, Georgia on 31/12/2009 with Bad Little Doggie opening up the 3 CD set and they give it a big build up, just like a preacher. This is a chunky blues rock and the singer has a classic rock voice – a great opener. Lay Your Burden Down has the band in a groove. It’ a grinder with excellent guitar work. Blind Man In The Dark has them raiding their back catalogue with a fuzzed vocal on this standard blues rocker. Life Before Insanity is a great title and the band slows things right down for this classy rock ballad. Larger Than Life has hypnotic drums and the vocals are holding up well. This track shows just how good a band Govt Mule is. Towering Fool is classic slow rock – moody, brooding and peppered with stinging guitar. Countdown Jam is essentially a 90 second warm up and lead into a cover of King Crimson’s 21st Century Schizoid Man. Although King Crimson covers are rare, Govt Mule stays true to the original complete with heavy vibes and fuzzed vocal. The Who’s We’re Not Gonna Take It follows and this is a great version of another song that is not often covered. A trio of covers finishes with Led Zeppelin’s Dazed And Confused, which is delivered with panache by the all Mules line up and closes the first set after 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Set 2, 1 hour and 43 minutes, is a selection of songs with blues legend Little Milton and opens with When The Blues Comes Knockin’. This classic rhythmic blues has Little Milton on vocal and his smokey tones add a little piece of class. My Dog And Me is a Chicago blues about when your woman leaves and all that’s left is the dog! The guitar will touch your soul and, when added to the heartfelt vocal, makes for a top class blues song. Lump On Your Stump continues the Little Milton collaboration and what a title that is! This bounces along very well and the message to come out of it is – don’t mess with Milton. I Can’t Quit You Baby is another classic blues song and they play it to perfection whilst their version of It Hurts Me Too is not quite as raw as those of say, Elmore James and Eric Clapton. However, it is just as good and the dual vocals works well. Milton is the man as they take on Blues Is Alright, perhaps best known to some by the Gary Moore cover, and deliver it in an authentic and vibrant style. Former member Audley Freed (also ex-Black Crowes) joins them for Is It My Body and the addition of his guitar is noticeable. They go for that fuzzed vocal again but I feel that it is not necessary this time and it slightly spoils a good track. Disc 2 ends with Power Of Soul and Freed stays on for this funky offering. It turns into a bit of a jam but when there are two excellent guitarists on show then it doesn’t really matter too much.
The final disc, which has them finishing at 03:43 am, starts with a version of The Beatles’ Helter Skelter and although it loses to the original on vocal prowess, it is as frantic and is still a class apart. Sometimes Salvation has Freed still with the band and he makes his mark on this classy, slow rocker. Robert? Adds his vocals for 30 Days In The Hole whilst Freed continues on guitar. This is vibrant and even mentions Newcastle Brown! The drummer gives it plenty on this and the guitarists swap licks effortlessly. With Freed now filling in full time as they move on to the classic rock themes of End Of The Line. The addition of slide guitar to the mix makes for a more rounded sound. Out Of The Rain takes quite a while to get going but the powerful, soulful vocal is worth waiting for. The singer turns in a great performance and the addition of steel guitar gives it a country feel. The Americana standard, I Shall Be Released, is delivered with great melody and there’s a new bassist and guitarist added. Freed is back for a brilliant take on the Lynyrd Skynyrd classic, Simple Man. This is one of my favourite songs and Govt Mule’s version is worth every one of the 15 minutes that they give us. They certainly don’t do too many short songs and you certainly get your money’s worth on this album and this is what music is all about. Having said that, they follow up with Crowd and, at less than 2 minutes long, I feel short changed!! Seriously though, this is just the sound of the crowd at the end of the gig.
This is a great introduction to the music of Govt Mule so go get it.
http://www.mule.net/
http://www.provoguerecords.com/
David Blue.

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.