"Murder Blues and Prayer", the second album from Pearlene, is true testament to their excellence. From the stomping opening track, "You Done Told Everybody", featuring no less than six musicians, including current Soledad Brothers, Oliver Henry and Johnny Walker, through to the final "Wayitgo" this album is a showcase for the undeniable talent of the band.
Ruben Glaser's vocals are haunting and his guitar playing second to none, complemented by Jesse Ebaugh and Hazen Frickles remarkable rhythm keeping skills, the heart and soul of Pearlene move on this record with grace and grit.
A new arrangement of "Jinx Blues" remains true to the Son House classic without being in anyway a straight forward, unoriginal cover. Pearlene take an amazing song and make it their own, giving it their own twist in such a way we're sure Son House would approve. It typifies the essence of this record, bound by the ideals and rules of the classic blues greats Pearlene never fail to bring them right up to date and create new 'classics'.
Title track, "Murder Blues and Prayer" is a tribal re-arrangement of a traditional track which builds into a fantastic wall of sound, with layers of Johnny Walkers distinctive harmonica playing and Henrys Sax alongside the never usual guitar, drums, bass and vocals. "Mutilation Boogie" is a dark, threatening instrumental which is, suitably yet unexpectedly, cut dead at the end. The final track "Wayitgo" is an understated, eerie exit to the record built up with heavy breathing and some of the spookiest, yet most beautiful harmonies we've heard in quite some time.
Buy 'Murder Blues and Prayer' here on CD or here on vinyl.
For more info on Pearlene go to www.pearlenemusic.com. |
