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from Helen Hart and Bryony-Rose Ward to the basic quartet line up of Malcolm

Thorne (guitar), Zach Bartlett (bass, keyboards) and Joe Harris (drums) and ‘500
Dollar Bail’ is a driving blues with Liam adding great harp complete with blow
bends (although I find it hard to imagine Liam ever being in jail!).

The title track is a tribute to Liam’s father who passed away in 2009 at the age of
only 52 and all proceeds from this album go to the Stroke Association. ‘Every-
thing’s Gonna Be Fine’ is a 9-minute slow blues that gives Mr. Thorne a nice lead

guitar solo and also features Zach Bartlett on organ while ‘Pack Your Sense of
Humour’ is a driving boogie. ‘Do What You Do’ is a Latin-flavoured song and we
finish with ‘Give It All Up For You’ with Liam solo, singing and playing harp Sonny

Boy Williamson-style. This album shows Liam’s versatility switching from his
more usual acoustic sounds to modern electric blues with his great-sounding
amplified harp and the band also sound very good - and of course proceeds from

this album go to a very worthy charity.

Graham Harrison

Ghalia Volt—Shout Sister Shout—Ruf Records ASIN
:B0CCYXT2HV

Belgian-born Ghalia Volt’s last album was ‘One Woman
Band’ recorded in Memphis’s Royal Studios but this new
record (her fourth) sees her recording with a band in
David Catching’s Rancho De La Luna Studios in the Cali-

fornia desert. The band is Catching (guitar), Ben Alle-
man (keyboards) and Danny Frankel (drums) and the

sound veers away from straight blues to a more psyche
vibe reflecting the backgrounds of the musicians involved - Queens of the Stone
Age, Dr. John and Lou Reed. Opener ‘Every Cloud’ has a menacing atmosphere that
reminded me of The Doors, ‘Changes’ is more melodic (again underpinned by

Alleman’s organ) but ‘Insomnia’ is bluesy with Ghalia’s delicate guitar. The title
track is not the Sister Rosetta Tharpe song but an appeal for women’s rights with a

wah-wah guitar solo, ‘No Happy Home’ is a rocker with slide guitar, ditto ‘She’s
Holding You Back’.

In ‘Can’t Have It All’ Ghalia and the band really combine in a dramatic powerhouse

stomper, with Alleman’s organ again outstanding and ‘Hell Is Not Gonna Deal With
You’ continues in similar fashion - again with a Door’s-style vibe and with Frankel
drumming up a storm. ‘Hop on a Ride’ is a co-write with Eddie 9V and returns to

the hill country sound of her ‘Mississippi Blend’ album with electric slide guitar and
electric piano. ‘Dog Ya Around’ has pounding drums and echoey guitar while ‘Po’
Boy John’ is driving rockabilly powered by Alleman’s impressive barrelhouse piano.

Although Ghalia has slightly swerved away from straight blues with this release I