The blues are brewin…
British blues guitarist Todd Sharpville shows that living the blues life is the best ingredient for playing it, as this album is an exploration of a time in his past when he had a breakdown and stay at a mental hospital in Wales. The music itself is as riveting as the story, and it includes a couple of rich duets, one with vocalist/guitarist Larr McCary on the STAXY “Brothers From Another Mother” and the other boogie band blue teaming on a big and dark shuffle of “Money For Nothing”. Sharpville is raspy in voice on the rocking take of “Walk Out In The Rain” and in a gospel mood fo “I Don’t Need TO Know Your Name”, soft and desperate on an acoustic “Silhouettes” and smoky on the R&B ballad “Tangled Up In Thought”. The mix of raucous beats, Memphis horns and heart on sleeves reflections make for a mix of sweet and sour musical sauces. Don’t double dip!
Lauren Glick not only sings with a voice reminiscent of early Janis Joplin, but she plays an impressive bass and keyboards with her team of Scott Malaby/g, Bobby Malaby and Matt Vangasbeck/key. She preaches it from the streets on a gospel’d “Poor Boy” while getting deep and dark on “Don’t Add Up”. Malaby’s guitar and Glick sear through the 70s-ish “I’m Onto You” the team pounds hard on “Love and Peach”. There’s a dash of Elton John lyricism to “Don’t Let The Rain In” and some folksy moods to “Little While Lies” while there’s plenty of meat and potatoes to pass around on the chunky “Living In Pain” and Permanent”. Would love to see this lady in concert.