Monday, August 18, 2014

Philip SAYCE: "Influence"

Rating: Comp.
Label: Provogue/Mascot 2014
Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

Philip Sayce, one of my favorite "new and true" blues guitarist as of lately. He's very much the fuzzy and groovy six-string bender in the tradition of Jimi H & Eric C, and he's just like the two, the great singer with a certain knack for delivering the goods. Heavy as funk and groovier than your dish-washer on full blast, rich, yet raw tones ála the Roadhouses are only to be expected on this platter.

His latest offering to the Gods is the 13 track album of "Influence" where Phil S pays tribute to the past (7 covers) as well as performing six newly written originals. You could say the oldies influenced him and producer David Cobb (Rival Sons, California Breed, etc) to write the newbies as they're steeped in the same mould, shape, and form.

Going through some of the covers. "Tom Devil", one of those songs that dates back to the birth of it all. "Sailin Shoes" is funky psychedelic from the pen of Lowell George. "I'm Going Home" originally composed by The Sonics, "Green Power" (I've been told since I had frankly no idea at first) the Little Richard tune and "Better Days" (Graham Nash) are all powerful and slightly modern editions of the originals. The Cobb/Sayce tunes are hits and misses where "Out Of My Mind", the lovely semi-ballad "Fade Into You" and "Evil Woman" stand out as the best in test. The latter, strangely not the cover tune.
www.philipsayce.com
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