Released by: Frontiers Records
Release Date: Out Now!!!
Genre: Blues Rock
Links: https://www.facebook.com/rickspringfield/
Tracklist:
In The Land Of The Blind
The Devil That You Know
Little Demon
Judas Tree
Jesus Was An Atheist
The Snake King
God Don’t Care
The Voodoo House
Suicide Manifesto
Blues For The Disillusioned
Santa Is An Anagram
Orpheus In The Underworld
Rick Springfield always makes me reminisce of walking down to the beach in Devon where I live, in the 1980’s, with ‘Jessie’s Girl’ blasting out of the stereo…..summers seemed longer and the world a lot simpler. Mr. Springfield has stood the test of time, it has to be said, better than a lot of his peers from that generation. He has long been established as a successful musician and actor, however, this new album offering may not be quite what you expect!
The first track ‘Land Of The Blind’ leads us straight into a good old American sound with a country twist and fresh feel…….an ALL American positive vibe ensues. I’ve always wanted to travel through the railroads of the USA for my 50th birthday and if I do, this would be the perfect soundtrack, to begin with.
‘The Devil That You Know’ has a great combo of blues and honky-tonk…..kind of like Quentin Tarantino juiced up with the Blues Brothers….great piano and great harmonica …. Coolio!
The opening with superb guitar and pumping drum and brass beats of ‘Little Demon’ make this offering an interestingly accomplished combination of instruments and rhythms. ‘Judas Tree’ has the heady bluesy guitar opening, again to a boogie-woogie type track with a light-hearted and fun beat, although deceptive as the lyrics are bloody and wicked ……True Blood in the true sense!
‘Jesus Was An Atheist’ Blends a mystical intro divinely into another bar room boogie of a backbeat and piano jangling heaven. But my favorite tune of all has to be ‘The Snake King’, smooth and rambling in a ‘Jelly Roll’ (Blue Murder) style, with a super slithering chorus, probably my favorite of the whole album. Great lyrics, fab beat…. loving the slide guitar throughout!
Screaming girls? Helicopter? Sounds like a rock n roll gig about to happen to me! ‘God Don’t Care’ seems to be revving up memories of the 80’s for Rick! This swaying blues number ….feels like it is hitching a ride to the dirtiest dive in town with the stickiest floor … Love IT!
‘The Voodoo House’, opens with a calming church choir intro, but rides on into a superb, deep, dark southern belle of a tune, with the bewitching, sticky, hot story of ‘The Voodoo House’. Atmospheric, and complete with sexy slide guitar…..this track makes want to head on down to The Big Easy now! The freight train busting, harmonica blowing, blues fest that is ‘Suicide Manifesto’, makes way for a slower paced ‘Blues For The Disillusioned’ which has a little snifter of Bon Jovi about it. And with the two last tracks ‘Santa Is An Anagram’, where the ghost of Little Richard seems to come alive with monster piano vibes and grooving guitar and ‘Orpheus In The Underworld’, this honky-tonk, blues bonanza comes to an end.
‘The Snake King’ slithers through your speakers like a honky-tonk cocktail consisting of good time boogie-woogie, with a heavy splash of heavenly blues ….. keep rocking n rolling buddy, we are right with ya!
Review by Francijn Suermondt
Score: 7 out of 10
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