Mister
Sippy – S/T (Independent)
A big hit in their home-city of Melbourne, Australia,
Mister Sippy describe themselves as a stomping, swamp blues, funk-o-billy
four-piece, and they’re not far wrong. Their six-track, self-titled debut is
full of vim and energy, and combines Fat Possum-style electric blues with a
raggedy rock ‘n’ roll stance. It all sounds incredibly fresh and inviting, and
it’s delivered with a level of musicianship and professionalism, which never
sounds slick or over-produced, but consistently impresses throughout its
26-minute duration.
There’s no room for filler on a record of this
length, and the band (Marshal Sayer, Max Maxey, Roger Brown and Dr. Russell
Gruen) are in complete accord. From the opening bars of “Leave Me and My Woman Alone” they barely waste a note.
Frontman Sayer plays a mean harp, which’ll remind a select few of The Red
Devils’ Lester Butler (though there’s probably an old blues guy that influenced
both of them), and on tracks like Butler’s own “Going
to the Church” and a blistering take on R.L. Burnside’s “Skinny Woman”, he shows just how good a harp can be
when used as the lead instrument in the right blues-rock setting.
Gruen and Brown keep the beat tight but fluid, and
guitarist Max Maxey is neither showy nor indulgent, but takes a razor sharp
lead whenever called upon, and his hard driving style might just be the perfect
foil to Sayer’s sinuous harp.
Phil S.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.