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harmonies and 50s Rickenbacker lap steel. 'Back Down South' (with Tyler Bryant) is probably my

favourite track as Rebecca celebrates the South and its music - with name checks for James Brown,
Little Richard, Charlie Daniels and the Allman Brothers - and with some tasty lead guitar and lap
steel. 'Tears of Blue to Gold' is melodic, modern country that you could actually imagine topping the
country charts, while the ballad 'Every Bird That Flies' combines melody with an exotic oriental
edge. As good as their own songs are thankfully they also give a nod to their roots with a version of

Blind Willie Johnson's haunting 'God Moves on the Water'. Both 'Danger Angel' and 'Ex-Con' also
blend the blues roots with melody, with 'Ex-Con' featuring superb vocals from Rebecca and the final
track 'Easy Street' keeps up the high standard of the rest of the record with a catchy, skipping
rhythm with the vocals being reinforced note-for-note by Megan's lithe lap steel.

This is an excellent record which combines lots of variety together with the girls’ distinctive style
that marries their roots with a modern approach, they also produced the album themselves and it

has a real rootsy feel rather than the sterile sound of many modern records. It’s hard to believe that
the sisters started out playing bluegrass but if you listen closely to the way that their guitars and
vocals interact and mesh with each other it is very much like the way that the instruments in
bluegrass bands combine. It also helps that the sisters are very attractive but make no mistake they
have got where they are today through sheer talent and hard work.

Graham Harrison

Thomas Atlas - Got This Feeling - Gulf Coast (Single)

UK bluesman Thomas Atlas has been working on his debut album
for Mike Zito and Guy Hale’s Gulf Coast label for the last six

months or so, but with all the things that have been going on so
far in 2020, it is rather nice that this single track has appeared
early to give us a taster. Mind you, I wasn’t really expecting such
an upbeat, mid-70s, good-time funk-based dancer. He even throws
in a meaty blues-rock guitar break towards the end (not long after

the Stanley Clarke flavoured bass solo!) just in case you’re missing
it…

Norman Darwen

Maceo Parker Soul Food–Cooking With Maceo The Funk
Garage/ Mascot Label Group TFG 76092

Maceo Parker on a new label called ‘The Funk Garage’ – and recorded
in New Orleans. If you need me to tell you what this sounds like,
where have you been since the 60s, when Maceo was being called
up front by James Brown to provide a funky sax solo? Damn! I was

trying to see how long I could avoid using the word “funky”, but
there’s just no way!. Try the cover of The Meters’ classic, ‘Just Kissed
My Baby’, or Allen Toussaint’s ‘Yes We Can Can’, or Doctor John’s