I have just been listening to the newest release, Checkered Past, by The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer. My first thought when I picked up this disc was that the name was too clever HARPoonist (harmonica) AXE murderer (guitar) and although I really like thought provoking music... I was a bit concerned. Well, this is a clever recording and not in a bad way. It is actually quite interesting. There are few tracks on the cd that sounds like conventional blues... but in my mind that means original. The tales are all there... just not as obvious and not hidden behind a "clever" veil. This is a 2 piece band made up of Vancouver natives Shawn Hall (harp, vocals and bass) and Matthew Rogers (guitar, drums, keyboards, bass, backing vocals). The recording opens with Shake It, an original track with elements of the most primitive blues and rock a billy. The harp is strong over the vocals and rhythmic setup. Quite cool. Wake Up, another original has it's roots loosely in Statesboro but again an original track. The riffs are blues but the rhythm is modern yet primitive. The vocal track is absolutely fresh and cool. Roll With The Punches is an interesting track with a retro and uneven paced rhythm. This is a track that deserves strong airplay. It is very well structured and performed. There is also some very cool harp and guitar dynamics happening during this track that really sets it off. On The Sky Is Falling the keys and bass get a chance to throw a curve ball. The rhythm is again funky and different. The lyrics lend a bit of a pop feel and I could definitely see it getting airplay. This time it's actually the vocals that pull it toward the blues however masked... smart. Are You Listening Lord is the closest to a traditional blues track so far but with a dynamic modern refrain just to break up tradition. This track takes some time out to get in a few cool riffs as well..... I like it! Next up is Willie Dixon's Can't Judge A Book. It's done in a somewhat traditional manner but again with a fresh sound. Be My Woman, a traditional field holler is treated with respect and handled with resonator harp and vocal. Smoothly transitioned into the soup. Mellow Down Easy, another Dixon track fits nicely into the set with a bit of a period sound. Too Late Virginia again finds a blues based track given a quirky rhythm pattern which modulates back and forth between reggae and retro with a fresh interesting sound. Vocal blending over the guitar track and train whistle harping is unusually cool. Chevrolet is given a bit of a country blues sound but again with a bit of a modern spin. hall blows a particularly nice harp riffs on this track. Burning Bridges closes out the set with a new blues track following in the traditional strain but again with modern sophisticated rhythm patterns. This is an unusually cool recording and if you want something different to listen to when you want your blues today...this is a great bet!
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