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country-gospel of Blind Alfred Reed’s ‘How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live’, in
strong Americana mode (this version most likely via Ry Cooder’s excellent version), probably
don’t need me to champion them. ‘I Don’t Need To Be Rich’ is also lyrically related to these. But
then, this album opens with Jimmy Reed’s ‘The Sun Is Shining’, a fine Chicago blues and “Reed
beat”- less, which is very, very unexpected. It closes with the lovely, very atmospheric, gospel
tinged blues of ‘Up All Night’, with Sarah Brown’s vocals adding to that Church feel.

Another Planet is putting out some excellent UK blues albums these days, and this is another
one. I do recommend you take a listen and discover its delights for yourself!

Norman Darwen

(www.anotherplanetmusic.net)

Mudslide Charley—Clearwater Junction—Independent

A six-piece band out of Missoula, Montana - not a place most
people think of blueswise, I guess, but then Mudslide Charley,
who have been together nearly 20 years, certainly have their
own take on the blues. This CD, their fifth album, shows that very
clearly.

That may be because they start, ironically enough, from a rather
traditional base. Yes there are the expected slide guitar licks and
wailing blues harp, and try the likes of the opening ‘Other Shoe’
and ‘Long Death Road’ for (relatively) straight and impressive
blues sounds, proving that they can do it fairly straight when
they want to, but ‘Don’t Look Back’ starts out by borrowing from ‘Amazing Grace’ and ends up
more or less in the Crescent City, whilst ‘Lil’ Miss Molsasses’ quite clearly draws on guitarist
and singer Marco Littig’s interest in western swing. There is a slight touch of The Rolling Stones
to ‘Road To Brookston’ and even a reggae number in the closing ‘Stop Talking’.

This is rather more eclectic than might be expected, but it is all blues-rooted or related. Certainly
not a run-of-the-mill blues release by any means. Worth looking into!

Norman Darwen

Nat Myers—Yellow Peril—Easy Eye Sound—ASIN ‏:
‎B0BW4J5CQT

Nat Myers is a Korean-American who came to blues through his
father’s record collection and began busking on the streets of
New York while at college but had to stop during the pandemic.
He then put his music online which is where it was discovered
by Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach and this led to this debut
album produced by Auerbach and recorded at his house in
Nashville. Nat sounds just like an old-time blues man with his
authentic acoustic guitar playing and a voice that could be from
someone twice his 32 years.