Seasick Steve
Love & Peace
Warners Music
If ever there was a remake made of late 1960’s renegade road film ‘Easy Rider’ Seasick Steve could probably do a good job of playing Dennis Hopper’s character or maybe a gunslinging outlaw in a Sam Peckinpah epic. Well, If not given a role, surely his music with its whisky soaked gnarly blues would make a damn fine soundtrack for it.
Steve has been making music pretty solidly since the late 1960’s when he toured with Lightnin’ Hopkins as a backing musician and played bass for the highly influential Shanti during the 1970’s. Not forgetting that he also found time to train as a paramedic and produce other artists. Seasick Steve has many stories to tell.
He first started to gain recognition here after appearing on Jools Holland’s BBC show in 2006 and with the release of the brilliantly titled and highly recommended ‘I Started Out With Nothin And I still Got Most Of It Left’ which featured KT Tunstall and Ruby Turner. Talking of renegades: Grinderman also turned up at the saloon to help Steve out with a song on ‘I Started Out With Nothin And I still Got Most Of It Left.’
So, here we are 7 albums later with the aptly titled ‘Love & Peace’ which does look rather splendid in clear vinyl with a sleeve design that would look great on the back of an old biker jacket or even as a tattoo. As for the music, with ‘Love & Peace’ Steve still has his foot firmly on the pedal and ‘Clock is Running’ is a ferocious bluesy shaker which leaves the ‘Let It Bleed’ era Stones for dust.
The slow burning ’Carni Days’ would not sound out of place playing over the end credits of ’True Detective’ and the ‘Church of Me’ is the sound of a man possessed – slaying his demons with a guitar and harmonica. From track to track, Steve’s new album has a real sense of urgency to it with no pussyfooting going on or wasted moments.
‘Love & Peace’ is Seasick Steve at his foot-stomping best. Crank up that volume.
4/5
Words: David Nobakht
Pre-order Now
Out 24/07/20