Kurt Allen: Whiskey, Women & Trouble Review
Featuring a sharp team of musicians on horns and keys, Kansas City’s bluesman Kurt Allen released his second album, Whiskey, Women & Trouble. In this brand new album, Allen keeps his direct and blues-based style, as shown in his first album (Titanium Blue, 2014).
The first song is “Graveyard Blues”, a blues-rock track with a solid guitar riff and slide solos. “Watch Yo Step” is a kind of a boogie-blues, with the expected stops and played-along guitar solos. In “How Long” the powerful vocals and horn lines make a nice slow blues. The title-track is a traditional boogie-blues where all the instruments are balanced, giving the perfect mood for the song.
“Funkalicious” starts with a rhythmic bass line that is complimented with other instruments, and where the vocals are more spoken than sung. The album’s ballad is “Count On Me”, with nice piano playing. In the blues-rock “Roadrunner”, the main role belongs to the saxophone, which, besides the guitar, does an excellent job. “Cry Mercy” has a non-straight and peaked rhythm very well led by the drums, where Allen’s distorted guitar gives fluency to the song. “Voodoo Queen” is another track with remarkable sax and bass lines, besides the soulful Allen’s vocals. The last track, “Sweet T” is a song that reminds the listener where the rock comes from.
Whiskey, Women & Trouble is a blues-based album that shows all the shades of blues and rock. It’s a real journey where Allen was careful and able to use his influences and create an album that represents them very well.
The Review: 7/10
Can’t Miss Tracks
– Roadrunner
– Funkalicious
– Graveyard Blues
The Big Hit
– Funkalicious
