Reviews

Blues has made a bit of a comeback lately.

We can generally put the blame for this at the door of Seasick Steve (contrary to popular assumption, he does actually have a door - and a whole house to put behind it).

Blues bands and artists have been steadily filtering their way through Gloucestershire for some years now.

Steelhead were among the first blues bands in the county I came across. A more recent addition has been The Stone Saloon.

While Stone Saloon have opted for the rockier end of the Blues spectrum, BabaJack have gone for a more traditional interpretation, stripping everything right back to the bare necessities: vocals, acoustic guitar, occasional drums and, of course, the pre-requisite harmonica.

The effect is simple but all the more enticing because of it.

The songs themselves cover the standard fare for blues songs: hard done by women, done by workers and day dreams of an easier life all round. It's not much to ask for.

Trevor Steger

Bluff Old Realists

For all that the lyrics may wish for a brighter future, there remains an air of realism - if not pure pessimism - about any dreams coming true.

"I take one step forward and two steps back" is not just a line from 'Standing on the Corner' but also the sentiment of most of the tracks currently available on the band's MySpace page.

Elsewhere, 'I Wish' finds a woman listing the ideal qualities in a man she'd like to meet (a rich man, a cowboy, a good man).

Even in these daydreams she manages to pick holes (rich men will have affairs, good men will go to heaven and leave her behind!) so she settles on having a strong man to "carry my heavy load".

Typical woman: she just wants a man to carry the shopping!

Becky Tate

Bluff Old Pessimists

It's a fairly dispiriting affair when even the wildest of dreams are tempered by a "yes, but…". But that's the Blues for you.

The depressing mood persists through the morbid 'Daddy's Gone', a mournfully tinged song about the death of a father ("What you gonna do when your daddy's gone? Wear a black dress and a face that's long").

Meanwhile, the mood turns a little more hopeful with talk of getting away from it all.

The lilting folkery of 'Coming Home' considers the return to familiar surroundings on "a wing and a prayer" and the bitter lyrics of 'Stones in my Shoe' suggest a desire to move on, mainly because life is to too hard to stay put.

Good Old Solid Blues

Far from the rugged whiskey drenched masculine vocals of Seasick Steve, BabaJack's vocals are brought to us by a younger, sweeter sounding woman in the form of Becky Tate.

The musical line up is reminiscent of Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan's double act.

Favourable comparisons could also be drawn with Simon and Garfunkel and Bob Dylan while 'Daddy's Gone' is a fairly close melodic relative of The Divine Comedy's 'Freedom Road'.

This is good, solid Blues at it's most basic and best.

You can almost smell the hot dust and taste the bourbon soaking through the songs on MySpace.

BabaJack have embraced the Blues and all that it means.

It's not just about 12 bars and a spot of whinging about a dead dog. It's a way of life - and BabaJack have nailed it.

Word has it there's a whole album where this came from. Listen and learn.

This article is an external contribution and expresses a personal opinion, not necessarily the views of the BBC.

_________________________________

If you're involved in the Gloucestershire music scene and you would like Stephen to review your music, please feel free to get in touch. Either email gloucestershire@bbc.co.uk or send your album and a bit about yourself to:

BBC Gloucestershire Introducing...
London Road
Gloucester
GL1 1SW

_________________________________