Cloudless Day – Debut Release – July Issue Blues Bytes

Blues Bytes, July 2019 - Graham Clarke

http://www.bluenight.com/BluesBytes/

 

Dirty Red & The Soul Shakers represented Oklahoma in the 2018 I.B.C., advancing to the semi-finals.  The band is led by Dirty Red himself (a.k.a. Eric McDaniel – vocals/harmonica) and feature guitarist Ike Lamb, drummer Forrest Worrell, bassist John Stendel, and a potent horn section dubbed, what else, the Dirty Red Brass Section (Matt Blagg – trumpet, Kevin Webb – trombone, Chris Hicks – saxophone).  Their latest release, Cloudless Day, was produced by Chris Hardwick, known for his production work with Watermelon Slim (Lamb and Worrell are both Watermelon Slim & the Workers alumni).

 

McDaniel wrote or co-wrote all but one of the ten tracks and they’re a glorious mix of rocking blues and soul, from the greasy funk of “Hot Sauce” to the horn-fueled “Creepin’” to the old school soul of “Touch Of A Woman” to the raucous fun of “The Party Don’t Get Started Till I Get Here.”  “New Day Dawning” mixes swampy blues with twangy surf guitar, and “Sweet Potato Pie” has a southern rock feel, while the title track is a easygoing ballad.

 

“Hard Bad Habit” is a sturdy roadhouse rocker and “Pretty Boy Blues” is a slow burner that burns indeed with McDaniel’s tough vocal and harp, Lamb’s sinewy guitar work and keyboards from guest Chris Wiser.  The final track is a hard-charging version of the Willie Dixon/Sonny Boy Williamson classic “Help Me Baby.”

 

McDaniel has a gritty, feral growl of a voice that is perfectly suited for this brand of music and the band provides stellar support.  Cloudless Day is a highly enjoyable album of modern hard-rocking blues meant to be played loud.