When this album by Sulfur City arrived for review I was a bit worried it might whiff a bit of rotten eggs. However, when the opening song Whispers' intro sounded like it was from Steve Wynn and the Miracle Three's Tick Tick Tick I was easily won over even before Lori Paradis' throaty vocals kicked in to remind me of the only other Canadian female blues rock act I can think of - Sass Jordan. Not sure if all the "oohing" and "ahhing" is sexual but it works either way.
War Going On is built on a memorable keyboard riff coupled with vocals that make Lori sound a bit like Grace Slick as she rails against the system and the folks that started that war that's going on. Musically, though, this reminds me in places of the North Mississippi All Stars.
Pockets works up a good descending riff as Lori rages at the empty pockets she has after a week's work (if I'm hearing it right) and then it breaks down into a very cool keyboards part wherein Lori starts to preach blues over it. This sounds real cool and makes some very good points to try to stir up the people in a similar way to Patti Smith's People Have The Power had it been played with Brian Auger on Keyboards.
Ride With Me is a good bluesy plea for love that could be an updating of an old Koko Taylor number as Lori's voice gets bigger and more pleading. Don't Lie To Me is a great put down song for the sort of man that just wants to get in her bed but not stick around for anything else. This sounds much better than the songs I heard Jackamon play live on this same subject last week. This also has a very cool guitar solo in it as the object of her ire cowers in a corner somewhere.
Sold has more of a country feel to it than the rest of the album as she nicks lines off Robert Johnson just as the slide guitar kicks in - unless maybe it's an electric washboard solo? It's down home but still rocking as she sings about the day she nearly died. Highways is driven along by the keyboards and backing singers as it bowls along at a fair clip. This is music for open highways not for sitting in traffic.
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Johnny is yet another song about a guy named Johnny. How many more do we need? Well this one is worth hearing - a good bluesy rocker full of the keyboard sounds that keep me wanting to hear more as Lori sounds like a cross between Bex Marshall and Sass Jordan on this one.
They slow things down on One day In June: a slow burning blues song about heavy rain that seems to be perfect for this rain sodden June as Lori's voice soars and soars through the dark clouds looming up above. The song rises and falls like precipitation does on a hot humid day.
Raise Hammer is a murder ballad played at a jaunty pace that almost sounds like it could be a Levellers song or some sort of twisted Irish dance song. An interesting idea for sure. The album closes with You Don't Know Me: a good raging blues song about some chump that thinks he can rule her life (yeah right) and then she's gone again to the sound of that barrelhouse piano and slide guitar, bue she's certainly not easily forgotten.
Sulfur City online
Alive Natural Sounds online
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