Reference Recordings artist: Fiona Boyes - Box & Dice - New release Review

I just received the newest release, Box & Dice, from Fiona Boyes and it's a gritty, bluesy guitar fest. Opening with Juke Joint on Moses Lane, Boyes gets a thick, rudimentary sound from a resonator guitar with superior sliding technique. Her voice is raspy and well suited to this polished form of primitive blues. Backed by Mark Grunden on drums and Dean Addision on bass this is tight. I'm A Stranger Here has a pure delta sound played only on a 6 string cigar box and she handles it with authority. Walking Around Money has a bit more rock blended in with an fast rockin beat on baritone guitar with Grunden and Addision. Boyes does a really nice cover of Howlin Wolf's Smokestack Lightning, with a driving electric guitar vamp, a cool loosely slung solo and some of my favorite vocals on the release. Louisiana is a somber blues ballad gently sung and accompanied on 4 string cigar box guitar, bass and percussion. Very nice! JC Johnson's Black Mountain Blues is delivered Bessie Smith style with Boyes handling the vocals nicely. With it's easy blues swing and Boyes' nicely fingered guitar work, this track sounds old beyond it's years. Another of my favorites is Mama's Sanctified Amp, a blues rocker with solid 6 string cigar box tone and basic rhythm and percussion. Very nice! I Done Quit has a real swagger with it's authoritative box guitar work and vocals. Just a hint of bass and percussion gives it a real stripped down feel but not sounding like a sole performer. Excellent! Walk With Me has a distinctive Blind Willie Johnson seriousness featuring Boyes on vocal and baritone resonator only. Very strong! Berry style rocker, Tiny Pinch of Sin comes the farthest north with an almost full band sound. Still remaining somewhat stripped down this track is quite appealing with a great beat and slippery sliding. Wrapping the release is Magic Sam's Easy Baby. Boyes pulls out the stops bringing a full electric guitar, bass and drums. With double stopped guitar riffs, bends and nicely placed blues riffs, this is a great conclusion to a strong blues release.

   

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