Ike Moriz
– At Last (Mosquito
Records London)
Ike Moriz is one tricky artist to pin down. He
originally made records in London back in the early noughties as part of a new
wave of pop that sprung up in the wake of Britpop, though he always seemed to
take the majority of his musical leads from the pop classicism of the preceding
decades.
Since then he’s relocated to his home-country of
South Africa, where he’s made a name for himself as an interpreter of the Great
American Songbook - and has followed a stylistic bent with roots in the big
bands of the ‘40s and ‘50s, and vocalists like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.
By my reckoning “At Last” is his 14th long player, and his first since 2012’s
“Siren Terpsichore”. Now Moriz has taken a new musical direction, and has
discovered a whole new set of roots to explore.
“At Last” is a sincere (and utterly fascinating) take
on a blues style that borrows from both the British boom of the late ‘60s and
early ‘70s, and the jazzier sounds that he’s recently surrounded himself with.
Familiar titles litter the tracklist; “Georgia On My
Mind” is super smooth and elegantly soulful, while “Hound Dog” owes
something to Elvis, insofar it rocks, but it swings, too, and Moriz nails both
the arrangement and performance.
Opening cut “The Devil Is
Real in Your Mind” features some terrific guitar work, and includes
enough bad blues vibe to steer us sensible folk away from the crossroads after
dark, while the title track relies heavily on piano, and feels dense and heavy
like a Southern heat wave. The album concludes with “You
Are My Sunshine”, its upbeat message enhanced by fluttery horns and
Moriz’s playful tones.
It’s good to have him back, whatever style he’s
playing, and I’m already looking forward to the next installment.
Rob F.
