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Eli 'Paperboy’ Reed—Down Every Road—Yep Roc ASIN :
B09Q1ZBCTZ

Eli 'Paperboy' Reed is perhaps best known as a neo-soul
singer but his earliest efforts were very bluesy almost in the
Howlin' Wolf mould. However his latest album is a tribute to
the late country singer/ guitarist Merle Haggard. This dates
back to Eli listening to Merle in his father's record collection
when he was younger and being impressed by Merle's
songwriting. In truth on opener 'Mama Tried' and the
following 'I’m Bringing Home Good News' Eli approaches the
songs with the same attack and energy as his soul music,
'Somewhere Between' is a keening soul ballad and 'It’s Not Love, But It’s Not Bad' could be a
Wilson Pickett recording!

The album was produced with Vince Chiarito at Brooklyn’s Hive Mind Recording and with his
longtime associates Mike Montgomery (bass) and Noah Rubin (drums) and Sabine McCalla
guests on vocals on 'Teach Me To Forget' and the classic 'Today I Started Loving You Again'.

'Silver Wings' has a Latin feel but 'If We Make It Through December', 'I’m A Lonesome Fugitive'
and 'One Sweet Hello' are all firmly in the country style. However, this isn't Eli trying to imitate
Merle this is very much Merle through the lens of Eli — as in another Haggard classic 'Working
Man Blues' where Eli even slips in a slide guitar solo. Of course 'country-soul' is nothing new
—both genres originate in the South with many blues and soul artists also listening to country
and visa versa—hence Ray Charles and Solomon Burke, not to mention Elvis and Charlie Rich
and Eli has managed to find and accentuate the 'soul' in Mr. Haggard's songs and replace
Merle's subdued delivery with his own soul screaming.

Graham Harrison

Ian Siegal—Stone by Stone—Grow Vision Records ASIN :
B09TV7XB7H

I saw Ian at last year's Red Rooster Festival with a band and
I've also seen him solo earlier this year and both times he
previewed 'Hand in Hand' and mentioned that the song would

be on his new album as a duet with Shemekia Copeland, which
left me straining at the leash to hear it. It was worth the wait
— Ian's voice is wonderful on its own but combined with
Shemekia's the result is sensational on this heartfelt gospel
blues. The album was produced in California's Grow Vision
Studios by Greta Valenti and Robin Davey, it's an understated
production that really lets Ian's songs breath, with none of the
modern bells and whistles that they apply to their own Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse's
material.

We begin with a Tom Waits-style gospel-tinged blues 'Working on a Building' with Ian being
helped out by Jimmie Wood (harp) and JJ Holiday (guitar) from The Imperial Crowns and
Jimmie also stays for the country-ish ballad 'The Fear', while 'I'm the Shit' is another Waits-
style tale of the darker side of life. 'Psycho' is a very unsettling modern murder ballad and old
mate Jimbo Mathus guests on 'KK's Blues' and 'Gathering Deep', with the latter sounding like
an out-take from The Stones' 'Exile on Main St.' with its country harmonies and slide guitar.

There's more gospel with 'Monday Saw' with its testifying over a backing of handclaps while