Eddie 9V: Down Here Review

The highly-anticipated Eddie 9V album Down Here is finally here, released via Easy Eye Sound on November 6. This 12-track celebration of southern soul, blues, and rock n’ roll has been recorded at the Easy Eye Sound studio in Nashville, following intense songwriting sessions with the likes of Dan Auerbach, Marcus King, Pat McLaughlin, and Daniel Tashian. This cool cat line-up looked to capture the magic of the moment and the raw energy of great musicians playing great music together. Eddie’s main goal was to make the listener feel as if they were in the studio with the band, and that mission was accomplished without a doubt. So, let’s roll!

A slightly muffled tone, and what I imagine is a rusty-stringed guitar picked up from a dusty case introduces “Whole Lot Coming for You”. The explosive groove makes you jump up on your feet from the word go. The whole tune is an absolute fireball! Packed densely with energy, dirt, and sweat. As much as he’s a killer guitarist and songwriter, Eddie is also a world-class singer with soul and feel aplenty, and he showcases that in the first single released leading up to the album, titled “Blowin’ Up”. You sure are blowin’ up Eddie. “Everybody Knows By Now” is a juicy fusion tune built upon a relentless rhythm section that keeps a jazzy, driving, 3/4 time backbone. You gotta love the way Eddie’s voice sounds with that Auerbach signature ‘blown-out speaker’ vocal distortion. That little devil-may-care guitar lick at the very end of the track brought a grin to my face.

Sailing into the soul-infested waters, “Satisfy the Way I Do” brings a soothing sound to the journey, deepened with tasty percussions and expressive singing that contrasts the 9V’s wild side. There’s a wonderful feel-good b-roll style video that celebrates this tune as well, definitely worth checking out. Stylistically, “Horses” follows the set course, but it’s a tad more laid-back, and the drum beat is really groovin’ hard in this one. Sounds like something that came straight from the ’70s. Killer stuff. A lovely 12-string acoustic starts out a rock n’ soul slow-burner, “It Don’t Bother Me”. Eddie 9V has really developed a unique singing style. Anyone remotely familiar with his work would instantly recognise him in this song.

“Can I Sleep In Your Backyard” features a mean, greasy guitar riff, even tastier solos, and a bouncy hand-clapping chorus. Glorious backing vocals gave me goosebumps listening to this one. Every track on this record brings something fresh. The album hits hard from the very first second but somehow it feels that it manages to get even better as it goes. A disco cover, “Rock Your Baby” follows, adding a playful note to the album, before Eddie goes southern through and through with “Maybe That’s a Good Thing” (you better believe it is). The title track “Down Here” is an anthem to living in tough surroundings, living fast, burning the candle at both ends, but loving every second of it. The groove demands a little shoulder move at the very least. As real as it gets! We are then treated to another dirty, hard-hitting blues rock banger, “Keep Turning Me Away”. At this point, I am thinking it will be a really tough ask to pick the big hit off this album. The closing track “Come and Get Me Lord” is a bitter-sweet ballad slowly bringing this crazy ride to an end. Considering who the mastermind behind the board was, I somehow sensed the album might wrap up like this, and my expectations were met fully.

Eddie 9V’s playing and singing is showing the mileage and experience built by years on the road touring and gigging relentlessly. His swagger and musical instinct fits everything that Easy Eye Sound stands for really well, and Dan Auerbach sure helped him get the most out of these songs. It feels like Eddie 9V / Easy Eye Sound collaboration was never an if, only a when, and I am so glad it finally happened. Based on how road-worn, sweaty, and smoky this music sounds, in a parallel universe this album could have easily been called Fretboard Gunk. Down Here is a courageous, confident, and career-defining album that packs soul and character. Well worth the long wait, and a strong album of the year contender.

The Review: 10/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– Whole Lot Coming for You
– Blowin’ Up
– Horses
– Can I Sleep In Your Backyard
– Keep Turning Me Away

The Big Hit

– Can I Sleep In Your Backyard