CARRY THE LIGHT Peter Frampton (Universal Music) *****+
I’ve been a Peter Frampton fan off and on since 1976’s Frampton Comes Alive and was lucky enough to see him open for Steve Miller in Edmonton a few years ago. Carry The Light is his first rock album of all-new material since 2010’s Thank You Mr. Churchill, and it’s safe to believe the stellar reviews that are coming out… this is one hell of a record.
Frampton lost me in ’77 with the cutesy pin-up boy pop stuff and the record I’m In You, but albums in the new millennium have solidified his rep as a guitar player’s guitar player, which brought me back to his music. His diagnosis in 2015 with inclusion body myositis, a degenerative disease, has seen him alter his guitar playing, and he now sits in a chair at live shows. Carry The Light, a fierce and varied piece of work, was co-written and produced with his son Julian. “It was one of my most enjoyable projects ever” Peter said in an interview for www.guitarworld.com. “I got to work with my son Julian- writing and producing together. A first of many for us, I’m sure.”
Carry The Light features some of Frampton’s most expressive playing in quite some time. His leads are fluid and memorable and the songs themselves are catchy. Special guests include Sheryl Crow, Graham Nash and saxophonist Bill Evans. The first single Buried Treasure, a tribute to the late Tom Petty, features Heartbreakers’ keyboardist Benmont Tench, and the metallic Lions At The Gate includes guitar work from Tom Morello. With the time he has left as a player limited, it feels like Frampton has really thrown himself into this one. His vocals have an edge to them, lending a passionate fire to the songs. This is not the sound of a man facing down a debilitating disease that will eventually rob him of his ability to play; rather than step back and coast into the sunset, Peter Frampton is raging against the dying of the light.
As much affection as I have for quirky stuff like Hummingbird In A Box from 2014 or his Grammy-winning all instrumental album Fingerprints from 2006, Carry The Light feels like the artist I’ve always thought might be buried under the press and the hype. This is a brilliant album from a brilliant musician.
HOT TRACKS: Buried Treasure, Carry The Light, Lions At The Gate
IT’S GETTING STRANGE Emmanuel Casablanca (independent) ****+
This would appear to be the 5th album, I think, for this Brooklyn bluesman. It’s Getting Strange starts smooth and groovy and, at 31 tracks, is perhaps overly generous. I prefer to think of it as an embarrassment of riches; finely crafted and produced songs mostly about love and social injustice that really seem to be hitting the spot.
Casablanca is described as “a torchbearer for 21st century blues and blues-rock” and he wears his influences on his sleeve; Muddy Waters, Albert King, Jimi Hendrix, Gary Clark Jr. and Dan Aurbach, and Strange is something of a left turn from the 3 records of his I’ve heard previous to this. The first 5 tracks are soulful and relaxed instead of screaming guitars with the Marshall stack set on ‘stun’. When he hits Did I Just Start A War things pick up and he starts to swagger… it’s a blues/rock with pop smarts that indicates a shift in gears toward the Emmanuel Casablanca I’m more used to hearing.
The heart of the man is best exemplified by The Emmanuel Casablanca Foundation, through which this athlete-turned-musician promotes social justice causes worldwide. He seeks to raise awareness and support for non-profit organizations addressing issues such as civil rights and environmental sustainability. I’ve never been a believer in music for a good cause, but good music for a good cause is something different and that’s what It’s Getting Strange is. It’s a mix of upbeat tunes full of attitude and lower, smoother romantic stuff too… but regardless of what kind of groove he’s mining the musicianship and even the production are top notch. Most artists go into the studio and say “let’s pick the dozen best songs and call that an album” but that doesn’t seem to be Casablanca’s way of doing things. I have no way of knowing of course, but I can imagine Emmanuel had his people going “hey, we’ve got 31 pretty good songs here… and especially in this digital age, let’s put them ALL on the album.”
There’s so much cool stuff happening on It’s Getting Strange that I’m looking forward to slowing down and having a deeper experience with this album.
https://www.groupmuse.com/@badboyofblues
HOT TRACKS: Did I Just Start A War, It’s Getting Strange, Slaughterhouse
BURN THE HOUSE DOWN Ghalia Volt (Ruf Records) *****
Talk about your animal magnetism. Burn The House Down, Volt’s 6th record, is an exciting and raw blend of punk, garage rock and psychobilly- informed blues that makes someone like Pink seem like one of the Spices Girls- and I like Pink. This is a total blast.
“Being true is always what resonates with me” she says. “Often, bands make music for the fans or to fit into a certain genre. I believe that if you make art for yourself—if it feels right, if you feel good doing it—then it will translate. People will appreciate it more because it’s real… it’s you.” This is just one of the things that makes Burn The House Down; another is that the album was recorded live in a single room with a small band- Ghalia, drummer Chris Powell, bassist Brian Allen and fellow guitarist JD Simo- with amps bleeding into each other. Although I appreciate a well-constructed record with tons of overdubs (huge Queen fan here) there is something, a vibe, that can only be achieved when the band plays together… it gives the playing and performances some extra juice that just cannot be achieved another way. There’s real swagger in these numbers, real attitude, and you know that they mean every note. “We’re not looking at a polished jewel” Ghalia says of the record, “but more a raw diamond.”
Ghalia Volt was born in Belgium, calls New Orleans home and has been playing guitar since the age of 11, which naturally informs the music she writes and plays. Burn The House Down is the perfect title for this collection of songs, tracked during a 2 day session of live-in-the-studio performances. The press bio calls it “using the blues as a launch pad for an album that crosses borders and obliterates the very idea of genre.” Shuffles, juke joint ravers, hill country blues, late-nite rock & roll… you’ll find it all right here.
Burn The House Down is messy and rough around the edges, maybe on the lo-fi side, but that just adds to the record’s already considerable charm. Combining her wild yet sometimes velvety voice with a tight band banging off the edges just because it’s fun; this is the shit!
HOT TRACKS: Lucifer’s Grip, No Ice Please, Wreckin’ & Rollin’
GARY DRANOW PLAYS THE BLUES Gary Dranow (independent) *****++
This is album hits you in the face like a hot frying pan. Gary Dranow Plays the Blues is fire and brimstone blues/rock, passionate vocals and hard guitar that comes across like Stevie Ray meets Billy Gibbons meets Christone Kingfish Ingram; seriously good stuff.
It was in ’68, while in the car on Ventura Blvd with his mom, when Gary heard Cream’s live version of Crossroads on the radio. “I said mom, turn the car around and take me to Ernie Ball” he remembers. “I walked in and the salesman pulled an Olympic white ’67 Strat off the wall and said ‘here’s the guitar you want. He also said ‘promise me one thing; you will never sell this guitar.’ I was 14 then, and I’m still playing that guitar today.”
Dranow started out rockin’ but around 1980 became fully immersed in the blues, and that dedication to his craft shines brightly on …Plays The Blues. The disc grooves mightily as Gary plays deftly with mood, tempo and intensity, leaving no blues stone unturned. His version of the classic Hoochie Coochie Man grinds and sweats like the original never did. He even surprised himself, saying “These songs flow more naturally than anything else I’ve written. (They are) a reflection that no matter how long you’ve been doing something, you can always find ways to take things to new and better levels.” From the declaration of the opening track Down And Dirty Blues to the funk blast of Still Got Fire where his vocal reminds me of Otis Redding, holy crap does he EVER have it going on.
Gary Dranow Plays The Blues will hit you in the same way as Stevie Ray when you first heard him, but I like these songs better. The hard call with this one is, do you file it under blues or rock & roll? Hell, probably both.
https://www.youtube.com/@garydranow
HOT TRACKS: Down And Dirty Blues, Hoochie Coochie Man, Still Got Fire
WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO Grainne Duffy (independent) *****
Here is the 6th album from this Irish singer/ guitarist. What Am I Supposed To Do is a riveting set of blues powered rock & roll that proudly displays Duffy’s influences. Her angular and forceful riffs combined with a raw, powerful voice that compares to early Melissa Etheridge, Sass Jordan or Rod Stewart with fallopian tubes make for a compelling, exciting listen.
Duffy is described as “one of Europe’s most compelling modern blues and roots artists, blending blues, soul, rock and Americana with subtle Celtic undertones.” Growing up in Ireland the family did not have a television so music was important in the home. Her dad’s record collection introduced her to country legends of the day before a sister’s boyfriend regularly played records by The Rolling Stones, The Pretenders and Fleetwood Mac. Grainne also felt drawn to the blues of BB King, John Lee Hooker and SRV as well as the music of her own generation; Nirvana, Soundgarden and Alanis Morissette. I mention all that here to show you where she comes from.
I hesitate to call What Am I Supposed To Do a blues record although there are certainly blues elements woven throughout. The album feels more like a 70’s Stones album and, as you can tell by the 5 star rating, I am totally okay with that. Duffy began writing songs as a teenager, learned to play guitar and quickly developed her own voice as a songwriter and performer. This album was recorded in LA and co-produced by Justin Stanley and The Black Crowes’ Marc Ford. The lineup is impressive; drummer Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen, Tony Iommi), bassist Jorgen Carlsson (Gov’t Mule), keyboardist Peter Levin (Blind Boys Of Alabama), Marc Ford (The Black Crowes) plus her long-time lead guitarist Paul Sherry. You don’t attract this kind of talent unless you really have it going on, and she certainly does.
What Am I Supposed To Do is 9 tracks, mostly original with a version of Peter Green’s (one of her guitar heroes) closing out the album that will rip your heart out and leave it bleeding on the floor. This is VERY hot stuff.
HOT TRACKS: Need Your Love So Bad, Early In The Morning, Tearing Me Apart
HUES Deer Fellow (independent) ****
It’s the full length debut for this Austin-based indie folk/pop duo. Hues seems to be the sort of album we don’t see much anymore; gentle, soothing, emotionally resonant music that can really peel you off of the ceiling after a tough week…. definitely musical therapy.
The magic of Hues is in its simplicity- a sparse blend of electric guitar, violin and shimmering vocal harmonies wrapped in lush arrangements with lyrical intimacy. I don’t have production notes, but I am hearing some relaxed percussion and bass too. Since meeting at an open mic night in Austin 11 years ago Matt Salois and Alyssa Kelly, now married, have grown as artists while their chemistry grows richer and more poignant. Their intricate soundscapes are very calming which I’m sure was the aim as Hues is certainly having that effect on me. No doubt their personal relationship informs their music as well.
“(this album) explores how our emotional colors shape the way we move through the world” DF says. “Every feeling light or dark plays a role, and life is richest when we embrace the full spectrum.” Unexpectedly, the press info says the album’s title song was inspired by the shifting color mechanics of the video game “Hue”. I’m not a gamer so maybe you can tell me if that tracks. Matt and Alyssa have a warm vocal style, and that draws you into each song just as much as the music itself does. Hues feels like it might be helpful if you’re feeling down and you need something to pull you up… something I have some experience with.
This certainly isn’t the kind of music you’re going to hear on contemporary radio, where the songs are meant to agitate you and make you want to dance or buy stuff. Hues is gentle, warm company that sure feels good to be around.
HOT TRACKS: title track, Fool For You, Beautiful Gray
