Time: 42:31
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Front
01. Mi(E)sery (2:43)
02. Just A Little Bit (3:56)
03. Whole Lot Of Trouble (3:41)
04. Empty Places (5:43)
05. Walk On (2:55)
06. Woke Up This Morning (3:46)
07. Enough (3:23)
08. Way Too Long (3:53)
09. Black & White (3:45)
10. Got To Go (5:02)
11. More Trouble (Bonus Track) (3:39)
The St. Louis Slim band has been a household name in Rotterdam and the surrounding area for many years. The rest of the Netherlands, the band will undoubtedly also have come across because this band is well booked.
Now it's time for their fourth album, "Empty Places."
Singer Monique Brinkman, drummer Peter Kok, harmonica player Michel de Kok, bass player Arno Koster and guitarist Robin Freeman deliver a sympathetic album. An album with a somewhat fluctuating quality level.
The opening track Mi (e) sery is a nice funky blues rocker with the warm harmonica of the Kok in the lead. Guitarist Peter is also enjoying the slide. It is a pity that the song lacks dynamics in terms of sound. A problem that occurs throughout the entire album. A shame because some songs would be really nice songs with a little more dynamics.
Such as the cover of the blues classic Just A Little Bit, which is cast here in a funky form with again the harmonica in the lead, along with the cool vocals of Brinkman. Whole Lot Of Trouble is a fairly simple, no-nonsense, rocker in which Brinkman's vocals resemble Frédérique Spigt.
Empty Places is an almost six minute long slow blues with a slightly funky background. Beautifully fanning guitar licks and cutting Ennio Morricone-like harmonica. Walk On is a cover of the Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee song. This song will have a semi-acoustic performance in which the harmonica demands all attention, in a positive way.
After that, the level of the numbers starts to decrease somewhat. Lonnie Johnson’s Woke Up This Morning gets a somewhat matt, standard version. And that despite the great guitar solo. The ballad Enough also sounds tame. The languid swinging Way Too Long just won't catch fire. That continuously present tambourine also started to work on my nerves.
Got To Go is another example of a standard blues that starts swinging but doesn't get going. But luckily we still have the jazzy acoustic ballad Black & White. A number that is absolutely convincing. Passionately performed with a great jazzy guitar solo.
As a bonus track the song Whole Lot Of Trouble comes over again. But then sung by bass player Arno Koster. And what a great raw blues rock throat it is !! Let the guy sing a little more! ~Peter Marinus
Now it's time for their fourth album, "Empty Places."
Singer Monique Brinkman, drummer Peter Kok, harmonica player Michel de Kok, bass player Arno Koster and guitarist Robin Freeman deliver a sympathetic album. An album with a somewhat fluctuating quality level.
The opening track Mi (e) sery is a nice funky blues rocker with the warm harmonica of the Kok in the lead. Guitarist Peter is also enjoying the slide. It is a pity that the song lacks dynamics in terms of sound. A problem that occurs throughout the entire album. A shame because some songs would be really nice songs with a little more dynamics.
Such as the cover of the blues classic Just A Little Bit, which is cast here in a funky form with again the harmonica in the lead, along with the cool vocals of Brinkman. Whole Lot Of Trouble is a fairly simple, no-nonsense, rocker in which Brinkman's vocals resemble Frédérique Spigt.
Empty Places is an almost six minute long slow blues with a slightly funky background. Beautifully fanning guitar licks and cutting Ennio Morricone-like harmonica. Walk On is a cover of the Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee song. This song will have a semi-acoustic performance in which the harmonica demands all attention, in a positive way.
After that, the level of the numbers starts to decrease somewhat. Lonnie Johnson’s Woke Up This Morning gets a somewhat matt, standard version. And that despite the great guitar solo. The ballad Enough also sounds tame. The languid swinging Way Too Long just won't catch fire. That continuously present tambourine also started to work on my nerves.
Got To Go is another example of a standard blues that starts swinging but doesn't get going. But luckily we still have the jazzy acoustic ballad Black & White. A number that is absolutely convincing. Passionately performed with a great jazzy guitar solo.
As a bonus track the song Whole Lot Of Trouble comes over again. But then sung by bass player Arno Koster. And what a great raw blues rock throat it is !! Let the guy sing a little more! ~Peter Marinus
Empty Places