Daddy Long Legs at Hotel Vegas Annex
From the esteemed Norton Records label comes one of the wildest and most exciting groups of the current roots and blues revolution. Daddy Long Legs-named for its harp-blowing, blues-bellowing frontman, is a blues hollerer who blurs any definition by age or color. He growls, barks, yelps, and wails without sounding like an imitation of anyone or anything. This is simply pull-the-cord-and-let-the-snot-fly blues.
His partners in crime are cut from the same sweat-and-whiskey-soaked cloth. Guitarist Murat Akturk cranks out everything from powerhouse country blues rhythms to multi-stringed slide riffs that bump and grind up against Daddy Long Legs’ harp. Drummer/percussionist Josh Styles keeps it simple and right on, sometimes locking in with his bandmates for a triple-punch deep-as-Hell-itself groove; other times head-down and leading the charge himself, slamming shovelfuls of coal into the beast.
The resulting gutsy, rocking blues spans the gamut from the churning romp of the album opener “Death Train Blues” to the nasty hoodoo stomp of ”Evil Eye” that closes things down. Yeah, you’ve heard players bring the train into the station before – but by the time Daddy Long Legs wrestles the thing to a halt, everyone’s covered in sweat.
Their ”Evil Eye On You” LP was definitely not an attempt to domesticate the sound of Daddy Long Legs in a studio setting; the twelve cuts are wild and wooly and real. Infuse a few hisses and pops into the tracks and it would be easy to believe this music was recorded a few decades ago, but no – Daddy Long Legs is happening right now, boys and girls.
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