Page 45 - BiTS_07_JULY_2025_Neat

Joanne Shaw Taylor—Black & Gold—
Journeyman Records ASIN: B0DST4RBHP

As with her last album “Heavy Soul”, the majority
of tracks on this album have been 'leaked' on
singles and EPs before the album itself was issued
– I can't really see the logic of this. (Although
another 2025 single an excellent cover of Free's
'Wishing Well' backed with 'Drowning in a Sea of
Love' aren't included here for some reason.) We
kick off with 'Hold of My Heart' a bluesy ballad
with Joanne's strong vocals and nice violin from
Savannah Madigan, 'All the Things I Said' is more
poppy (and with Joe Bonamassa on guitar) and the
title track is similar but with a darker lyric "Cause if you're not really here, then I
don't want to be either..." 'I Gotta Stop Letting You Let Me Down' brings us back to
the blues with slide guitar and Joanne's howled vocals and 'Grayer Shade of Blue'
is a nice poignant ballad which has Savannah Madigan back on violin.

'Hell of a Good Time' is more blasting blues rock and 'Look What I've Become' is a
ballad but a very powerful one complete with strings and crashing guitar chords.
There's more powerful blues rock with 'What Are You Gonna Do Now' and the album
closes with a gorgeous cover of The Faces ballad 'Love Lives Here' with Joanne
channelling Rod Stewart. Joanne is backed here by the same musicians as on 'Heavy
Soul' - Doug Lancio (guitar), Anton Fig (drums), Alison Prestwood (bass) and Jimmy
Wallace (keyboards) - with the addition of an extra guitarist in Audley Freed. Joe
Bonamassa plays guitar on two tracks (but doesn't really stand out) and also
produces along with Kevin Shirley. I'm afraid that I didn't think this album was as
good as 'Heavy Soul', again Joanne tries to combine her blues roots with more
commercial sounds but this time I didn't think she managed to quite pull it off like
she did on “Heavy Soul”.

Graham Harrison

North Mississippi Allstars—Still Shakin'—New
West Records ASIN: B0F27-NQZMZ

It's hard to believe that the North Mississippi
Allstars debut album was released twenty-five
years ago and that this is now their eleventh studio
album, recorded at their own studio as well as
several others in Mississippi and also Nashville.
However, their commitment to blues is still
evident with the album starting with a jaunty
version of Robert Johnson's 'Preachin' Blues' given
a hill country beat and with Luther's falsetto vocals
and a processed slide guitar solo and the laid back
'Stay All Night' features fellow hill country
guitarist Robert Kimbrough. 'My Mind is Ramblin'' is another laid back hippy ballad
with Cody's chugging drums and Sharisse and Shontelle Norman helping out on
vocals, while 'Pray for Peace’ is a tougher gospel song with call and response vocals.