Page 42 - BiTS_03_MARCH_2022

Katie Henry—On My Way—Ruf Records—ASIN: B09JKVH745

This is Katie Henry's second album. She's from New Jersey and

sings, plays guitar, piano and has co-written the ten songs here
with bass player and slide-guitarist Antar Goodwin. The album
was recorded last year in Brooklyn’s Degraw Sound and produced
by Ben Rice who also plays guitar on the album, with other band
members being Kurt Thum (keyboards) and Greg Wieczorek
(drums). If you had to compare Katie's sound to anyone I guess it

would be modern Bonnie Raitt - ie blues-based with elements of
rock and country. We open with the title track which I've got to
admit I wasn't too impressed with, it is OK but a bit ordinary.
'Empty Cup' is better, melodic and mid-paced and 'Without a Fight' is better still, a rocker with
nice slide guitar from Goodwin and Katie's controlled vocals.

'Setting Sun' is a lovely gentle ballad which starts over acoustic guitar and gradually builds, it's

very much like Eva Cassidy and a nice contrast to the album's other tracks, like the following 'Got
Me Good' a chugging rocker. 'Blessings' is a poignant piano-based ballad, 'Too Long’ is probably the
album's most bluesy track and features Brit Giles Robson on harmonica, 'Running Round' is
another atmospheric ballad and we finish with 'Catch Me If You Can' another song that I found a bit
ordinary. Although I compared Katie's overall sound to Bonnie Raitt she doesn't have Bonnie's

exceptional voice and although she does resist the urge to scream out the lyrics her voice and also
the songs are a bit bland. Everything here is OK, well-played (I thought that Kurt Thum's keyboard
playing was very good throughout) and sang but I'm afraid that nothing really grabbed me.

Graham Harrison

Hollis Brown—In The Aftermath—Cool Green Recordings—ASIN:
B09KXVQ23T

The Stones' 1966 album 'Aftermath' was their first LP of all
original songs and saw them moving away from the blues and
their covers of Chuck Berry, Jimmy Reed et al. Here we get New
York band Hollis Brown covering that album in its entirety, in the
same order as the original US release (but not the British record).
Opener 'Paint It Black' captures the same groove as the original
but isn’t a direct copy although it does have the same sitar/guitar

courtesy of Jonathan Bonella, the pounding drums and singer
Mike Montell doesn’t do a Jagger impersonation. It’s the
blueprint for the whole album and if anything the versions of
great songs like ‘Stupid Girl’ and ‘Under My Thumb’ improve on the originals with a more knowing
funky drive. Plus, the band can also do the Stones’ softer more experimental side with good covers

of ‘Lady Jane’ and ‘I Am Waiting’

The Stones may have dropped their blues covers for ‘Aftermath’ but many of their own songs like
‘Think’, ‘Flight 505’ and ‘It’s Not Easy’ still drew heavily on Chuck Berry and Hollis Brown can also
replicate this style, kept rocking by the rhythm section of Chris Uriolla (bass) and Andrew Zehnal
(drums). They can also do the old-style R&B of ‘Doncha Bother Me’ and ‘Goin’ Home’ - both with