Album Cover 'This River'
Starting out in 2001, the Florida band was signed by Fog City Records where they produced their very first album titled Blackwater. After several name and musical style changes, the band have settled. After six successful albums they release their seventh album This River.
JJ Grey has surrounded himself with a settled line-up now, namely: Andrew Trube (guitars), Anthony Farrell (keyboards), Todd Smallie (bass), Anthony Cole (drums), Art Edmaiston (saxophone) and Dennis Marion (trumpet.)
The genre of the band is a mixture of Blues, Southern Rock, Funk and Retro Soul. With gritty vocals, deep lyrics and raw guitar licks JJ Grey shines as an excellent blues/soul singer. The album is a mixture of up-tempo funk, well-articulated soul and back porch ballads, there are ten different songs to tickle your desired musical taste.
Album opener Your Lady, She’s Shady is a solid way to start an album. With Grey’s countrified guitar lines, lively vocals, ideal horns and plenty of percussive bounce this is a delicious taste of the funky style of this American band.
The second track on the album is titled Somebody Else and unlike the first track it has a smoother approach, with more blues guitar added to the mix this track is easy-listening and reminds me of music from a much older era. I think this song is one of the standouts on the album, with its irresistible chord progression and clever lyrics I could listen to it over and over again.
Tame a Wild One has an infectious melody and is another one of my favourites on the album; my favourite lyric was ‘Because she’s as wild as the raging sea and just as beautiful too.’ 99 Shades of Crazy is cut from the same cloth as the other songs on the album but it does have some interesting intricate beats that give the song its own identity, it isn’t my favourite on the album but I did enjoy it.
The band slows down the pace with The Ballad of Larry Webb. We experience the softer side to Grey’s vocals and it left me feeling comforted by the soothing sounds and Southern ambiance.
The only real misstep throughout the album is the song Florabama, which I feel is a party tune and it didn’t fit well with the arc of the album. I don’t know what it is about it but it does come off as a little generic and it is one of the weaker songs in the collection.
Standing on the Edge is the seventh track on the album and it starts with a funk fused guitar melody which flows into a selection of keys and raw vocals. My favourite lyric in the song was ‘Tonight is a drop; in the ocean of eternity/in all this current we flow, out into the open sea.’
Write a Letter is one of the slower tunes and another one of my personal favourites; it is a slow burning ballad with up-tempo moments, this song has definite potential. The song builds to succumb to a crashing climax of guitars and keys. Harp & Drums is the most interesting track musically on the album, it leans more towards Funk than Blues like the rest of the songs.
The album closer is the album titled track This River, which is actually my favourite. It is a five minute long track with a heartfelt introduction with lyrics such as ‘I feel her flowing, flowing right through me/I hear her whispers drowning my words.’ Three quarters of the way through the dynamics change and the song becomes uplifting as the poignant lyrics are surrounded by a mass of drums, guitars and keys.
This River is a classic mix of heart-tugging tunes and funky-up-tempo tunes, it might not be ground-breaking, but it sure is awfully good at what it sets out to do.
The album is available now.
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