Ruf (label)
17 March 2014 (released)
23 February 2014
As I have never made any secret of loving music that has its basis in the seventies it would be most churlish of me to diss this disc from the gorgeous Christina Skjolberg – not only does she have the punch and raunch of classic Blues/rock she has the guts to acknowledge her roots. She also makes a great noise.
Tons of wah-wah, rolling organ sound and driving drums, she also has a vocal style that could be mistaken for some of the greats, albeit with a Norwegian accent – pretty well the total package.
The album kicks off with the title track – funky and loaded with swamp smoke, her vocals have the edge of poutishness and youthful snottiness as she sings “You know you-oh that I needit …, come and gettit” before breaking into a wicked and massivelu distorted solo that just screams ‘BLUES BABEE’ – three minutes in and I think I am in love!
‘Runaway’ has a wonderful organ sound behind her story of breaking out from the drudgery of home and hearth – you can hear her busting out from the island of Smola in Norway with another great solo and a heavy riff leading into some great organ.
‘Close the Door’ is one of her standout numbers with Harri Taitonnen playing a brilliant Hammond solo against her hard edged guitar.
The album’s relentless power and drive is relieved by ‘Moving On’ which has a slow and groove laden ballad feel to it: only a European would sing “I been to Texas, I been to Rome …, I’ve seen the Pope, I Lost my Hope” but it works as a European Blues rather than a slavish copy of US Blues and just makes the album.
Skjolberg is part of the 2014 Blues Caravan alongside Laurence Jones and it sounds as though Thomas Ruf has found another couple of stars for his roster – can’t wait to see them live later in the year.
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