As the first strains of 'Ball and Chain,' with its laid-back, late-night guitar licks and toe-tapping rhythms, filter from my speakers, my first impressions are rather positive, but there's something niggling me. Yes, it reminds me of something. No real clues on the press release, which tells us all about ERick's background and nothing about anything else much... then I realise what it is. Chris Rea. Dire Straits. I'll refrain from making the obvious 'Dire Rea' gag, not least of all because Hale and Pace did it about twenty-five years ago.
'Know Who You Are' is an uptempo boppin' blues boogie, while 'Patchouli' is unpretentious barroom blues with a modern yet timeless feel. Nothing wrong with that. Not is there anything wrong with the guitar flourishes that grace many of the tracks, notably the solo on 'I'm Through.' There can be no doubting Hovey's musicianship, make no mistake.
There's a reggae groove to 'Talkin Bout Love,' which is a little incongruous and, arguably, the album's least successful track, but it's back to business on 'Goin Down,' which is blues with a spine that's as funky as you like, and 'Can't Fall Down' wraps things up a riff that's not a million miles from Free's 'Alright Now' with some strangely Brian May licks. It might not be the most representative track to end on, or even a track that really leaves you wanting more, but taken as a whole, it's an accomplished and enjoyable set. For my money, Hovey is definitely at his best when he's working within the parameters of blues, and less impressive when he strays from the tried and tested template, but the when he does work to his strengths, he's really rather good.
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