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Larkin Poe—Bloom—Tricki-Woo Records ASIN
: B0DHLFN3QN

This new album from sisters Megan and Rebecca
Lovell (Larkin Poe) was co-produced with
Rebecca’s husband Tyler Bryant, who also plays

guitars (Tyler and Rebecca recently did an excellent
job collaborating with Ruthie Foster on her album
‘Mileage’.) The sisters are also joined by their road

rhythm section Tarka Layman (bass) and Caleb
Crosby (drums), as well as Michael Webb (organ)
and Elenor Denig (strings), with Rebecca and
Megan handling vocals, guitars and lap steel. We

kick off with ‘Mockingbird’ a melodic anthemic song and ‘Easy Love Part 1’ carries
on in the same vein with Megan’s prominent lap steel, while ‘Little Bit’ is a lovely
Beatle-ish ballad (the girls have recently collaborated with Ringo Star!). On Larkin

Poe’s last album ‘Blood Harmony’ I was really impressed by Rebecca’s lead vocals
and that powerful singing continues here – just listen to ‘Bluephoria’ which also
features almost heavy metal riffing and a great lap steel solo.

We then get ‘Easy Love Part 2’ a restful soul ballad with nice organ but the following
‘Nowhere Fast’ is a noisy rocker and ‘If God Is a Woman’ has Rebecca howling the
vocals over an updated hill country blues backing. Both ‘Fool Outta Me’ and ‘You Are
the River’ are pleasant country-ish songs with nice harmonies and the final ‘Bloom

Again’ is a melodic ballad with strings that really showcases those wonderful sibling
harmonies. This album features all original songs so don’t expect the blues covers
or direct blues influences of their earlier albums and looking at other reviews most

reviewers pick ‘Bluephoria’ and ‘If God Is a Woman’ as the standout tracks but, while
I thought they were good, I preferred the more subtle tracks like ‘Little Bit’ and
‘Mockingbird’. Again, the thing that I take away from this record is Rebecca Lovell
emerging as one the great voices, her voice is both pretty and powerful and in

combination with Megan they produce beautiful harmonies.

Graham Harrison

Tommy Castro and the Pain Killers—Closer to

the Bone—Alligator Records ASIN:B0DNJDZ8TL

Tommy Castro cites Paul Butterfield guitarists

Elvin Bishop and Mike Bloomfield as two of his
biggest influences and on this new album, recorded
at Kid Andersen’s Greaseland Studio, Kid

encouraged Tommy “to embrace his deeper blues
side” – which he certainly does. We start with a
Castro original ‘Can’t Catch a Break’ a funky blues