RAINMAKER John Hollier & The Reverie (Thirty Tigers) ****
Equal parts alt-country, soul and rock, Rainmaker is one of those records that get to you right away. John Hollier & The Reverie’s songs are driven by instinct and emotion, not chart-savvy lust. Where there is truth there is beauty, and there’s a whole pile of it on this album.
Shooting from the hip I’d say Rainmaker sits somewhere between John Mellencamp and Dwight Yoakam with a little Springsteen on the side. Blues Matters recognizes it as “an honest, resonant listen built on heart, grit and truth”, and I find that as I get older this is the kind of music that tends to stick with me. Rather than leaning on production trickery the band let feeling and restraint lead the way. “I think the band did a great job being restrained, not overplaying anything” observes Hollier. “It created a bed of sound that really lets the vocals carry the story. But it still feels modern, even with that New Orleans soul influence in there.”
I feel like an old hippie (I’m not) saying this, but Rainmaker feels real, with an honest depth that most music ignores in the modern age. There’s no trending chasing or gimmickry involved on this one as the John and the band shoot from the heart all the way through. “The last thing you want to do is sound like everybody else” he says. “Once you figure out what makes you different and lean into it—that’s how you find your sound.”
Originally hailing from rural Louisiana, Hollier has spent years refining his voice as a performer and a songwriter. The result is that when he writes and sings, it’s coming from somewhere deep inside. He has an emotional, expressive vocal style and that’s perfectly suited to this particular gathering of songs. Rainmaker feels as much like a personal diary as anything else and the rather rustic feeling production supports that. This is one of those records that will speak to you when you’re ready to listen.
HOT TRACKS: Gonna Love You, Never See Me Again, Crashing
THUNDER IN THE HOUSE Eliza Neals (E-H Records) *****+
Nobody does Detroit blues with the fire and passion of Eliza Neals. Thunder In The House, her 13th studio album, is blues with rock & roll swagger n horsepower and lots of it.
Thunder is blues with a dangerous black leather attitude as Eliza’s gritty and sultry voice makes you feel naughty for listening in, not unlike the Dana Fuchs album I reviewed last week. Armed with a BA in music from Wayne State University, her Armenian heritage brings a wild sort of mojo to these proceedings. The band she has in the studio, special guests included, are the exact right companions on this trip. It’s been observed that “this album embodies a connection between the supernatural plus the spiritual, conveying the essence of the goddess Isis as she weaves sacred bluesy tones and soulful riffs into each note.” Put another way, Thunder In The House is one of those albums that gives up more secrets every time you spin it, depending on how deep you feel like looking.
This is the 7th of her 13 records to join my collection and feels like her most fully realized musical vision to date. Producer Michael Puwal has done a superb job of catching the spirit of these songs on tape, contributing as well to songwriting on three numbers as well as engineering. Thunder In The House sounds like how you’d expect an album with that title to sound and feel; like a big, juicy steak as opposed to a kale salad with sprouts. Eliza and her confederates mean business here, and you can feel her Detroit-ness in the soul and groove of this thing. The press info cites Sirius XM BB King’s Bluesville channel as saying “Eliza Neals unleashes a fiery blend of blues-rock swagger and soulful grit” but honestly, I think they’re underselling it. This is some powerful, powerful blues that will stay on my playlist for a long time.
HOT TRACKS: Blues Bombshell, Speedy Beady, Unoriginal Bitch
MY VOICE Laura Chavez (Ruf) ****
With a stellar career as a dependable gun for hire, Chavez steps out here for her solo debut. My Voice is a righteous collection of guitar-driven instrumentals because, as the press info says “the guitar is her voice. Lovers of soulful blues/ rock guitar will really enjoy this.
Laura Chavez has spent years shaping the sound of contemporary blues through her collaborations with artists like Candye Kane, Mike Ledbetter, Monster Mike Welch and Vanessa Collier. My Voice features originals alongside re-imagined classics that reflect who she is as both a person and a guitar player. The album kicks off with the CCR classic Born on The Bayou (CCR drummer Doug Clifford told me that’s his favorite from his old band) which you will recognize as you realize it’s not a slavish recreation. “I did this song for my dad” Laura says. “He is a huge CCR fan and would play the tape all the time in the car. I wanted to do it up-tempo and driving- completely opposite (of the original), but I knew the guitar part and melody were so iconic everyone would instantly recognize it.”
Most of My Voice is upbeat and lively, but label president Thomas Ruf insisted (and wisely so I think) that Laura also include a slow blues. She thought of the song Dia de Los Muertos and figured “maybe I could do it as a slow blues, perhaps in the style of Peter Green.” As a guitarist she says “my true joy as a player has always been standing beside (a vocalist) doing what I can to support them and bring out their best.” For years Laura has resisted the urge to do an instrumental album. “While some fans might think they wanted to hear an entire album of guitar solos, I knew I would never want to hear that.” Sure there are some solos and some damn catchy riffs, but on the whole it’s fair to say Laura’s playing here comes across like vocals. When that’s done right- and it is here- she plays vocal lines that get your attention.
A guitar player of Chavez’s caliber could’ve easily turned in a wank-a-thon, but with My Voice Chavez takes the high road and speaks to us through her guitar. This is pretty cool stuff.
https://www.facebook.com/THELauraChavez/#
HOT TRACKS: Born On The Bayou, Chinese Checkers, La Llorona
YKSAS Le Zok (Inverse Records/ Secret Entertainment) ***
This is the debut for these Finnish alt rockers. Yksas (sorry, my computer doesn’t speak their language) is a wild concoction of garage, psychedelia, grunge, new wave and punk. That they aren’t singing in English is a problem for me and will no doubt hamper any chance at significant success. Having said that, I’m really digging what they’re up to musically.
Le Zok is a 4-piece from Helsinki that takes delight in blending unconventional song structures with experimental directness. There’s a tuneful ferocity to what they’re doing, that’s combines a punk directness with a Doors’-like penchant for pushing boundaries. Even though the lyrics in Finnish are beyond my comprehension Yksas feels like a fever dream that I’m familiar with. This record is described as “bringing together a selection of songs that deliberately avoid the traditional rock template, offering straightforward yet surprising tracks. In some songs you can hear echoes of how the pandemic threw society in disarray. In others, a lost individual struggle to navigate that same society.” You’ll no doubt pick up on that if you speak the same language.
Again, Yksas will be hampered in terms of success by not having the vocals in English, but flip side of the same coin, it leaves you to absorb the music on its own terms. Why not take a chance?
https://lezokrock.bandcamp.com/
HOT TRACKS: Radio Day, Shamaani, Karpasvaikutus
