Street Sermons is the fourth album by New York based Punk blues shouters Daddy Long Legs who are led by Brian Hurd along with Murat Akturk, Josh Styles and with producer Oakley Munson also playing on the album that was recorded in the Catskills at Old Soul Studios.
From the opening line of Street Sermons that is "Work with one another, not against each other" it's crystal clear that Daddy Long Legs are spreading the gospel of togetherness to bring about a better more peaceful and co-operative world, set against rural blues, played by a New York based band, this is a call to arms.
Nightmare is the bands response to everything that's happened since during and after the pandemic hit, they just want to wake up and for it to all be over, this is a sing along blues shouter in a similar vein to The Urban Voodoo Machine but more stripped back to the blues essence, like a long-lost Howling Wolf song that has a Wreckless Eric as special guest backing vocalist.
Rockin My Boogie feels like they wanted to re-work Bill Haley's Rock A Beating boogie into a 21st century boogie blues, to shake shuffle and skank along too, as we all want to join in helping them to Rock there Boogie everyday as that harmonica solo takes things up a notch, before the piano led breakdown as they shuffle along.
Harmonica Razor is sharp edged Harmonica blues blast played at a cracking pace, that sounds like it will have a good few false endings live.
Been A Fool Once takes a well worn phrase and injects it with blues power in the same way Jim Jones Revue often did, as they have been spurned by the woman they loved, they are not looking for forgiveness, as they just seek to move on, not getting caught out twice.
Star is slower almost a ballad of sadness and regret for what happened to that Star, why they still think of them as a Star no matter what scandal they may have been caught up in, without ever letting on what the Star has done good or bad with the vocals crooned rather than shouted this feels rather downbeat.
You'll Die Too captures much of the way many of us have felt in the last few years, the feelings of dread playing out over super steady blues stomping down the aisles like they are about to have a Blues Explosion.
Silver Satin dials things back a little, as Wreckless Eric joins them on backing vocals again, on a song whose vocals sound indebted to Phil Gammage, as this howls and blows through town like that bottle of Thunderbird they are singing about drowning in as they sip at it from within a paper bag.
Two Dollar Holler is a driving blues howler of a busker's pitch to be given that cash to be able to get up and do it all again down in alphabet city as they fight for survival on New York's mean streets.
Ding Ding Man sounds like something out of the late 50's, a catchy song for the Ding Ding man that features John Sebastian on backing vocals and a great battle between the kazoo and harmonica.
Stop What You're Doin is a slower more thoughtful blues howl for change, be it a personal revolution or a wider one, the need for positive change is at the core of this song and the album in general.
Electro-Motive Blues sees them careening down the tracks like they have caught the A-train, while trying to escape the wrong borough once more in the dead of night, with the Lizzy's on their trail, or whoever it is that have spooked them and got them on the run once more.
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