Wednesday, September 22, 2010

new JJ Grey album

Is the right terminology "album" or "disc"?  JJ Grey has recently released a new collection of songs called "Georgia Warhorse", which is a moniker for a type of grasshopper that is apparently prevalent in the South.  This is Grey's 5th disc (his 3rd as "JJ Grey and Mofro") and his best and most consistent cd so far.  All of his discs are very good, and if you're not familiar with him you should check him out, he's an original.  His music sounds like a mix of greasy swampy southern rock, blues, and soul.   The lead single "The Sweetest Thing" is a great duet with Toots Hibbert, a feel-good tune that's got all the hallmarks of a classic single - you can sing along almost instantly and can't get it out of your head for days.  (It's this records' equivalent to "Orange Blossoms" off the record of the same name). Fortunately, there are other excellent songs here, my favorites being the opening cut "Diyo Dayo", "Hide and Seek", "King Hummingbird", and the excellent "Beautiful World", which could also be a single.  But the difference with this disc as compared to the rest of Grey's output is the consistency.  Whereas in the past there'd be 1 or 2 really good songs and maybe a good ballad, on this disc there are really no bad songs, all of them are listenable.  He's also a very good live act and is playing the Brooklyn Bowl in November.

No comments:

Post a Comment