Grandson of the legendary R.L. Burnside; recipient of a Best Traditional Blues Album Grammy Award, and nominated for others, Hill Country Love isn’t quite what I expected.
Actually, it’s only third track in with ‘Shake ‘Em On Down’ and much later with ‘You Got To Move’ and ‘Strong’ that we get my pre-prejudiced takes on what the sub-genre of Hill Country blues might be. My assumption being such music would be acoustic driven, perhaps folk-like. Well, the amps are largely turned off for those tracks, at least give me that.
With no song coming in much longer than three minutes long, predominantly what we get are tight rhythmed riffed tunes, often single chorded save for the choruses. That may sound repetitive or one-dimensional, but it proves otherwise. If this is in fact what Hill Country blues is about then it’s likely as not where we find the original DNA for modern drum ‘n bass. That or the rudiments of fusion when you hear the interaction between instruments on the likes of opening number ‘I Know’.
Burnside plays tight, percussive riffs, bouncy, generally lacking left hand sustains and with the feel that the right hand is plucking those notes out. The bass echoes the guitar but also plays around a little more, while drums keep things tight while more t happy to sound out loud and made themselves heard when they want. There’s also a little harmonica in there now and again, but fundamentally this is dance music; and while that’s fairly obvious on tracks like ‘Juke Joint’ that proves a fun-some light boogie trip, I can picture British mods in the early sixties grooving along to many of these tunes too. “The juke joint was more than just a venue to me,” Burnside reflected about that particular number. “It was where I learned about life and music. It was my sanctuary from a young age, shaping who I am as an artist today.”
Burnside claims much of this album to be a heartfelt tribute to his roots and the musical heritage of the rolling hills of Northern Mississippi, most especially on its title track. Strong voiced, he offers a potent narrative there, a brief solo makes explorative fiery sounds early on and during the number’s conclusion too. The aforementioned ‘Shake ‘Em On Down’ comes next and takes that storytelling a step further, fortunately so since the acoustic slide number’s a cover tune.
Creeping mischievously round the backdoor, with some sweet flowing harmonica bursts is ‘Smile’. Make it a little slicker and Robert Cray could cover that one. On the other side of the coin, we get ‘Closer’ and whereas one’s initial impression is that this might be about another midnight lover, slowly we begin to appreciate it’s the calling of the church he’s singing about, and that’s gospel. “This song is about living life and having faith,” said Burnside. “My faith got tested a bunch here on this earth, and I don’t always get it right. I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but you gotta try to get it right the next time. All you can do is live as righteous as you can and stay as close to the Lord as you can. That’s what it’s all about.” A sentiment echoed if only by way of its title in ‘Coming Real To You’ that’s as much a trip down Memory Lane, while its slide work arrangement comes over tasting like a raw tab of psychedelia.
‘Thank You’ is a guttural sensuous gospel funk number, while ‘Love You Music’ could well be a native American Indian hymn, save those drums gets awfully wild once they get going, not to mention the guitar and bass having a busy tête-à-tête together. ‘Toll On Your Life’ is a more earnest blues number, with Burnside stretching out a little both vocally and on guitar on it.
‘You Got to Move’ is a spiritual slide acoustic and harmonica wailing number, albeit getting alongside the wrong side of a woman can be a good enough reason to move. ‘Strong’ follows, his voice like a deep Nat King Cole initially, on what’s another acoustic number, played in a back porch lullaby manner. The chords slink down aptly chiming out on ‘Funky!’ that pays its debt to James Brown off well. Then finally, ‘Po Black Mattie’ proves to be another cover, one written by his grandfather, and this slipping ‘n sliding soft-souled boogie make this as good a place to end an album on, to throw off your dancing shoes and take a rest before you decide to put on some choice tracks and bop around the room barefoot once more.
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Reviewed by Paul H Birch.
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Hill Country Love is released via Provogue Records/Mascot Label Group and is available now (from here).
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Track List:
- I Know
- Hill Country Love
- Shake’Em On Down
- Juke Joint
- Smile
- Closer
- Coming Real To You
- Thank You
- Love You Music
- Toll On Your Life
- You Got to Move
- Strong
- Funky!
- Po Black Mattie
