Laurie Morvan Band
Cure What Ails Ya
Self-released Screaming Lizard Records
Run Time: 51:41
“Where are the girls with guitars?” Laurie
Morvan sings on her new disc. Here’s one, she proudly says with
every statement on her latest release. However, labeling her a
blues-rocker is a bit of a misnomer. This girl is a rock girl. Plain
and simple, she rocks and rolls over and over throughout the disc.
Laurie’s rocking took her all the way to the finals of Best
Self-Produced CD at IBC this year as well as rocked her way into the
finals at the IBC. She’s definitely turning heads. She’s got two
shows coming up with the great John Mayall to put it all into
perspective.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s some blues in here
folks. You can definitely tell her influences are grounded in the
foundation of blues-rock. Check out “My Baby Says” and the
blues-rock ballad “One Little Thing” where the title of the album
finds it name from one of the lyrics.
Laurie’s experience on guitar is definitely
what carries her throughout the disc. Her arpeggio-filled solos can
be a little bit intrusive to some blues purists. However, she’s
definitely a barrier-pushing musician who’s definitely opening the
breadth of contemporary blues, by blending in the strong rock
influence.
The Freddie King-esque “Wiggle Room”
instrumental is definitely a shape changing workout on Laurie’s
Strat, that screams from the roots of guys like Walter Trout, the
late Jeff Healey, and Tinsley Ellis.
Laurie’s got a little ways to go on the vocals,
but she has some ample help with her back up singers and the great
keyboardist Dońa Oxford who guests on two tracks on the disc.
However, it’s Laurie’s guitar tone that will make all the guitar
fans out there perk up. She can hang with the big boys, and future
releases will probably best demonstrate.
Though not a favorite of mine personally
because it tends to lean more to rock than anything else, it’s well
worth a listen for folks who are just getting into blues from other
genre’s music. She’s a great introductory course into where the
blues and it’s bounds have been pushed. And if you’re a lady out
there who plays guitar, she’s bound to be an inspiration for you to
pick up your guitar and go kick the guys in the ass!
Visit Laurie Morvan Band on the web at
http://www.lauriemorvan.com/ to purchase this CD or visit ITunes.
Laurie is also on MySpace. Check her out in various other guitar
magazines, as she continues to make waves as one of the best female
guitarists going.
Ben Cox is a Blues Songwriter, Musician, DJ and Journalist. |