Harpo Walker is the lead man behind Django Blackheart, with whom I was very impressed in the past (I reviewed them around a year ago and played the heck out of their album). So, here is Mr Walker’s solo album, and an absolute corker it is too.
Walker is British but appears to be resident in Australia and this album feature artists from both sides of the world – Dean Haitaini, Chris Turner (Rose Tattoo) & Ewan Lund (Mitch Anderson Band) all contribute guitar from Australia and Dani Wilde (from Brighton) duets on two tracks. It is also co-produced with Paul Hemmings (The La’s & The Lightening Seeds) after workshopping the songs in a studio in Liverpool right next to Strawberry Fields.
You can’t really pin down a particular Blues style here. Walker seems to have picked up touches of Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy, Dylan, Capt. Beefheart and even Ian Siegal and that all fits into 10 song/stories that just get better with every listen. My personal favourite track ‘Nothing Worth Knowing Comes Easy’ has a lightness of touch that America would be proud of and some Peter Green style guitar from Paul Hemmings that is just sublime. The duet with Dani Wilde ‘Ride On’ is one of the best singles I’ve heard for ages. Dani’s howls underline the Wolf-like style of the number. Ewan Lund’s guitar work is cracking.
I love the harp playing on ‘Time Bomb’ – a nice little 12 bar about conspiracy theories. The album even features Walker’s father-in-law on fiddle (he used to be a conductor at Sydney Opera House before sudden blindness) on ‘When You’re Lonely’ – a gentle and happy little song with a great swing to it.
10 very different numbers and not one that didn’t work on one level or another. Very well worth getting hold of.
