One of the UK’s leading Urban magazines ‘Blues and Soul‘ have reviewed Sandi’s new album “Flesh and Blood“, giving the record an impressive 8/10 and the following indepth review:
SANDI THOM : FLESH AND BLOOD
8/10When they started marketing Scottish singer-songwriter Sandi Thom as a blues artist, and she began popping up on the bill at blues festivals, I wasn’t entirely convinced.
Her 2006 number one smash hit in seven countries “I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My hair),” rocketed her into the collective public consciousness and helped her debut album “Smile….It Confuses People,” go platinum with multi-million sales.
But while that single put her name in lights, it also made a rod for her own back, as nothing else she has ever written or recorded is anything like that “novelty” track. Aptly, you could say it confused people!
Her material has always straddled many genres, and when the chaps in the record store (lucky if you can find one these days….I remember this when it was all fields…..policemen get younger…..) are scratching their heads wondering where to file Ms Thom’s CDs, it is clear that she has no specific pigeon-hole in which to reside. Thing is, I am not even sure Sandi herself has known exactly who she wanted to be as an artist, suffering a bit of an identity crisis. Until now that is.
Sandi’s fourth album “Flesh and Blood,” recorded in Nashville, is the hand to her music glove. It fits snugly, has given her a new found confidence and if I can put it this way, a new purpose by the sound of it. No need for head scratching and playing it safe by filing it under blues, folk, roots, acoustic, country and rock categories. Just spell her name right - that’s Sandi with an I and Thom with an H – and file under Sandi Thom.
The first of the dozen tracks on the new album, the second release on her own label “Guardian Angels Records,” is like a lot of this CD; a large helping of raunchy vocal sitting on a deep groove. Definitely lots of attitude in her vocal, which appears to have matured and developed considerably.
“Help Me,” is almost Southern blues with some tasty slide for good measure. A solid vocal and Sandi adding some fine gob iron too on this Sonny Boy Williamson penned song. “I Owe You Zero,” is an acoustic led ballad, a very good song with some lovely electric guitar work on the solo.
Sandi seems to really push herself on the vocal for the title track. I kept having this niggling thought that this tune reminded me of something else, then it hit me. “Feel Like Making Love,” by Bad Company. This would make a good single, a song inspired by Sandi’s past she says, as she explains further:
“For many years my past haunted me. So many experiences that I just couldn’t shake. My step father walking out on us when I was 16, the time I was assaulted by a police officer, knocking my teeth out and very nearly ending my career at 19.
“Those are just some of the things that contribute to this very colourful life I have led. But there comes a time when you just have to let go. Sometimes the past can bare down on you so heavy, it’s like it has a personality. A little voice in your head that never leaves you alone. Well this song is me saying to my past; ‘It’s time that you fuck off and let me live my life’. Safe to say……..it did.” I for one,can definitely associate with that sentiment. That’s the thing; I think she scores highly for connecting with people with her lyrical content, on most of these songs here.
“Sun Comes Crashing Down” is the first single from this album, but wouldn’t have been my choice. Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac territory, with some classic Nicks vocal phrasing from Sandi. Inspired by Sandi’s trip to Africa as an Oxfam ambassador. Mixed by Kevin Shirley, Joe’s right handman for his mega-selling albums, as well as the Buffy Sainte Marie duet which he also mixed
The traditional late 1800’s penned ballad “In The Pines,” which blues legend Huddie”Leadbelly” Ledbetter made famous, gets the Thom treatment with a new arrangement, extra lines of lyric and new bridge. A controlled vocal and a pretty good vehicle for her.
Buffy Sainte Marie is the guest on her 1992 classic ”Big Ones Get Away,” which on paper I thought was an unusual choice of duet partner, but it works very well. The 71-year-old legend who is here in August for the Meltdown festival, has a similar vibrato to Thom, and like most Nashville cuts the vocals sit high up in the mix above the music track. The lyric gives food for thought,such as: “If the bad guys don’t get you, then the good guys will….” Over four minutes of sheer class.
The album features a stellar ensemble, including Black Crowes guitarist Rich Robinson who produced the set. Drummer Steve Gorman, fellow Black Crowe and top session man Audley Freed, Nashville stars Mike Webb (keys/dobro) and James Haggerty on bass.
“Stormy Weather” is a funky little thing driven by clavinet. Nice groove and Sandi shoves that harp to her mouth again. The bluesy “I See The Devil In You,” slows things down to ballad pace, and I could hear Sandi’s “other half” Joe Bonamassa covering this one in the future. She shows off her vocal range here, but she goes for some vocal acrobatics on “Rise As One,” a mid-tempo track which features Dobro.
A tribute to her fella of three years Joe B, comes in the shape of “I Love You Like A Lunatic.” A back-handed compliment with the wonderful lyric: “The kind of love that makes you sick.” Would have loved to have been at the breakfast table with those two, when she read that one out!
The gospel-tinged “Save Some Mercy For Me,” is a good song but could benefit from shaving at least 60 seconds from the four and a half minutes it is now. The closer, “Lay Your Burden Down,” was written about her family; the pain and suffering they have all been through. It has a similar passion to k.d.Lang’s heart-felt work, and is a very strong way to close what is an extremely impressive and honest album, where Sandi has audibly found herself.
My slight concern is she tends to over-egg the pudding sometimes, and seems to feel the need to sling in ad-libs galore, and fill all the spaces with her vocal. But that is a tiny observation rather than a major criticism,and perhaps even down to personal taste.
Blues,folk,country,roots, Americana and rock fans should all lap this up, and it should make her many new friends. Maybe this will be the turning point where she is no longer “best known as the punk rocker with flowers in her hair,” and can be rightfully hailed as one of the UK’s finest musical exports. She deserves to be.
* Sandi’s nationwide UK tour begins at the London Islington Academy on Thursday November 1st, and visits Southampton,Gateshead,Wolverhampton,Liverpool,Glasgow, Aberdeen,Edinburgh, Milton Keynes and Bury. www.sandithom.com
WORDS SIMON REDLEY
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