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Ledfoot—Plain Simple Honesty—TBC

(www.ledfoot.net)

Ledfoot plays “Gothic Blues” and this is his eighth
solo album. Born Tim Scott McConnell, he is an

American singer and songwriter who has been
based in Norway for the last three decades. He is
best known to the world at large for his song ‘High
Hopes’, which he first released in 1987, and which

has been recorded by Bruce Springsteen several
times since.

The musician who most immediately came to mind on listening to this set though
is Ian Siegal. Ledfoot’s sound, to me, is certainly akin to Ian’s recent work,
Americana-tinged blues – there is something about the structure and approach of

a track like ‘All You Ever Had’, though Ledfoot’s voice is noticeably deeper and rawer,
and his songs are often darker (try ‘My Empty Heart’) – and I doubt it is a direct
influence. The performances have a small band accompaniment and his banjo

playing on that opening number and ‘The Devil’s Game’ adds an archaic feel. It’s
impressive.

But then again, the whole album is a strong blues ‘n’ roots set, with powerful,

mostly bluesy songs, but with country-tinged Americana on ‘Crystal River’ and
‘Alone Again’, and the bright and breezy acoustic-based rock and roll of ‘Hey Ho’.
Check it out.

Norman Darwen

Few Miles on—Mother Lode—Independent

A four-piece outfit comprising members from

Chicago, Detroit, Nashville and East Texas, Few
Miles On has a sound that mixes blues with rock,
funk and soul elements. Frontman Philip Hall

supplies muscular vocals, fine blues-rock guitar
breaks, funky riffs, and slide guitar licks over a
cushion laid down by Gary Alspaugh on keyboards

and the rhythm section of bass player Larry Alder
and John Whitehead on drums.

There is a slight leaning towards blues-rock in the

guitar work and overall general feel on many of the songs, though it is never
overbearing. Take a listen to the excellent ‘Scent Of Your Perfume’, a lovely 70s
flavoured soul-tinged Chicago blues, a little reminiscent of Fenton Robinson maybe,

or try ‘Stronger Than The Pain’, a fine and mellow soul song, whilst ‘Ransom’ is a
slow blues and ‘She Might Be’ and ‘Obsessed’ both have rather funky backing.