Debbie
Bond And The Trudats – That Thing Called Love (Blues Root Productions)
Singer-songwriter-guitarist Debbie Bond has been
playing her blues (and paying her dues) for nigh on three decades, both leading
her own bands and supporting the cream of her local Alabama scene at home and
around Europe. All that experience is utilized on her new record “That Thing
Called Love” – recorded with her guys, The Trudats, it’s a collection that
showcases Bond’s many talents as well as her myriad influences.
Her ability to combine classic country and soul
grooves into her Southern blues template certainly lends the album a
timelessness that’s instantly appealing. She’s also surrounded herself with
players who understand the subtleties of the music, and play to its inherent
strengths, stepping up when required, but always leaving space for the star
attractions – Bond’s vocals and musicianship.
They begin with “You're the Kind of Trouble”, and the
band find their feet immediately and build the kind of chugging rhythm the
Velvet Underground would have pioneered had they called Birmingham, Ala. home
and never ventured north of Memphis – its home-brewed, slightly lo-fi ambiance
adding to the conceit. They follow with “Steady Rolling
Man”, a pre-war blues-belter, which borrows equally from the New Orleans
tradition and New York’s Cotton Club.
They’re particularly impressive on the ballads, where
Bond get the chance to stretch her vocal chords. “Feed My Soul” sets the tone,
and “Falling” is just as special, although it’s probably the title track that’s
my favourite of the slower numbers. Its mix of keys and guitar is jazzy and
sultry, and Bond’s vocal provides a plethora of shivery highs.
Phil S.
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