On his new album Chin Up John Campbelljohn delivers a harder edge and it works wonders.
To make this album more diverse he continues to find ways to re-invent the blues genre and baby it’s all good.
On tracks like How Stupid Is That there is a David Wilcox vibe, Castaway has a killer punchy groove while I Got It All locks in his distinctive slide riffology. Elsewhere, on tracks like Sally in the Alley, Attitude and Stop Making Excuses the band kicks into a blues-rock groove.
Check out the Sonny Landreth-esque track The Poor Man Pays or the excellent Fantastic Supremo with a stunning slide solo sounding like a cross between David Lindley and Los Lobos.
But let me make this perfectly clear it’s all John Campbell John, and his solid section of Noel Robertson and Ronald Hynes While I’m at it, heck, why isn’t a great song like Good Morning Mr Blue Sky not all over radio? Excellent album!
JOHN EMMS is a veteran music journalist read in 100 countries, and a Sun Media free lancer with over 30 years experience.
JOHN of course heads up his own blues/roots honchos THE SHAFTMEN Their catalogue is available worldwide. https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/the-worlds-gone-crazy/id673101570
JOHN is also on Twitter
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