Samuel James popped up seemingly out of nowhere with a fascinating debut on the NorthernBlues label. A collection of story-songs driven by James’ fleet fingerpicking, that outing introduced characters who starred in James’ quirky, at times surreal, story-songs of love, murder, revenge and redemption.
James is back with For Rosa, Maeve And Noreen, picking up and elaborating on tales he’s told before and introducing new characters. The result is an intriguing outing with some genuinely jaw-dropping guitar work.
There really isn’t anyone out there doing anything like this. Though early blues tunes often told a tale (think Bessie Smith’s “Backwater Blues,” on up to “Texas Flood,” the tune that made Stevie Ray Vaughan famous), narrative hasn’t been much of a factor in blues songwriting for years. Reflecting an earlier era when history was a much more oral affair and stories had the power to both enlighten and transfix, it still remains a timeless approach, just as valid in the Internet age and a time of instant information.
And so we get rambling but pithy fare like “Bigger, Blacker Ben” and “A Sugar Smallhouse Valentine” (both marking the return of characters from Songs Famed For Sorrow And Joy, James’ 2008 debut). There’s “Rosa’s Sweet Lil’ Love Song” and “Trouble On Congress Street Rag,” the wry “I’ve Haddock Up To Here” (the song’s better than the pun!) and the dark and fatalistic “Wooden Tombstone.”
James has clearly done his musical homework, adapting time-honored Delta blues figures and driving rhythms and delivering it all with rousing, rollicking aplomb. He’s all alone, though the sound is only stark when appropriate; James plays various acoustic guitars and banjos, harmonica, piano, foot taps (credited with and without tambourine) and hand claps for a sound that’s frequently downright boisterous. His laconic vocals are just right, sly and slippery, playful but possessed of a sardonic edge that renders his delivery riveting. Production by David Travers-Smith is exemplary, with a tangible warmth and presence to the instruments.
For all the traditional elements here, though, Samuel James isn’t a typical blues artist, nor is he dwelling in a sepia-toned past. A curious but fascinating blend of the time-honored and the adventurously exotic, James is refreshing indeed. Recommended!
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