(BLOODSHOT RECORDS; 2014)
Luke Winslow-King is one of those throw-back kinda guys. You know what I mean… he shoulda been born about a century sooner than his birth certidicate indicates (who knows… maybe he was). He epitomizes the sound and style of New Orleans during the Hot Jazz and Dixieland era of the 1920s and ’30s. Then again, maybe he shoulda been born about fifty or sixty years sooner, because his sound is also a lot like those great early ’50s Rhythm and Blues and early rock and roll songs. Or, maybe, we’re happy that he was born into our time period, as he works just about every style of Americana into something completely modern and accessible. Ain’t fate a grand thing?
On the first track of his second Bloodshot release, Winslow-King (henceforth referred to as LWK for brevity’s sake), dips into our Southern Gospel past, with a rewrite of Anthony Showalter and Elisha Hoffman’s “Leaning On the Everlasting Arms,” retitled simply “Everlasting Arms” here. LWK’s wife, Esther Rose King, is June to his Johnny, with beautiful backing and harmony vocals, while Ben Polcer adds a cool, rolling piano part, a la Johnnie Johnson (the REAL King of Rock ‘n’ Roll) or Marvin Hughes (he played on early sides by everyone from Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins to Elvis Presley and Wanda Jackson). There’s a certain Squirrel Nut Zippers, almost Hawaiian vibe to the guitar solo, a sound that is visited more than once over the course of the album. “Swing That Thing” is a ramblin’ hillbilly rocker, with a Scotty Moore style guitar sound and Cassidy Holden’s slapped upright bass part. The track has a definite Sun Records sound, coupled with that New Orleans or Harlem Hot Jazz vibe, with elements of Cab Calloway and Fats Waller working through the tune. Another slab of Hot Jazz, “I’m Your Levee Man,” is a slow groove, greasy speakeasy blues. I could imagine Jelly Roll Morton and his Red Hot Peppers blasting this one in some semi-reputable club in New Orleans or from the stage of Harlem’s Cotton Club. Somber jazz music has been a funeral tradition in New Orleans’ black culture for well over a century; “Graveyard Blues,” a minor key dirge has that feel, with marching drums and slowly swinging horns, including a sousaphone (deftly handled by Jon Gross). A great set of lyrics and a nice guitar solo add to the ambiance. “Cadillac Slim” is one of those early rock and roll kinda numbers, with a cool, strolling drum part and horn chart. Think Fats Domino or Bill Haley, with a slick Carl Perkins style guitar solo.
“La Bega’s Carousel” is a snappy updated Hot Jazz track, with Polcer’s trumpet taking the lead. There’s also a very jazzy, Big Band sort of drum solo and – to top off a great tune – LWK and Esther Rose deliver some of the best harmony vocals on the record. The swampy, slide-driven Robert Johnson blues of “The Crystal Water Springs” is my current favorite from the album, particularly with Benji Bohannon’s interesting drum pattern and interaction with Esther Rose’s washboard. “Wanton Way of Loving” is the most traditional country song on the record and, just to prove the point, it features some rather plaintive fiddle (at least ’til the solo) by Matt Rhody. The song showcases a wispy, haunting Esther Rose lead vocal with LWK backing. “Interlude (As It Goes)” is less than a minute-and-a-half long, but it features a really nice guitar from LWK over Holden’s inventive bass line. It fits well as an introduction to “Last Night I Dreamed My Birthday.” The number is a gently rocking, kinda Uncle Tupelo, No Alternative thing… at least until the slide solo that dominates the final minute or so. There’s a hauntingly beautiful trumpet in the background that adds just the right touch of melancholy.
The shameless product placement of “Domino Sugar” is the rockin’est tune here (in a laid back, Jackson Browne kinda way). As the slide (by either Roberto Luti or LWK himself) and a slightly fuzzed lead struggle for dominance, the listener is treated to a true display of the talents brought to bear throughout EVERLASTING ARMS. Another “Interlude,” less than a minute in duration is a dirty, spooky guitar moan that leads into “Home Blues,” a slow burn cauldron of New Orleans style acoustic blues and Hot Jazz. The song is mean and vindictive: “I brought a blues for you/They’ll make you do things you would never do/Blues’ll make you do things you would never do/They’ll make you mean/They will make you cruel/Make you treat your lover like a fool.” Orange Kellin and Rick Trolsen both get solos, on clarinet and trombone respectively. A great sounding track. The album ends with “Traveling Myself,” a jaunty little thing with a chugging, train vibe. It’s the standard “solitary troubadour” thing with an acoustic slide that really brings that lonesome feeling home. EVERLASTING ARMS is available in CD (the version reviewed here) and LP formats. The vinyl version omits “Domino Sugar” and the two short interludes, but… it’s still vinyl, for all of the junkies out there (like me).