Love, War And The Ghost Of Whitey Ford

It’s been ten years since Everlast (aka former House of Pain MC Erik Schrody) last recorded as his alter-ego Whitey Ford. Back then, his album Whitey Ford Sings The Blues became something of a cross-over hit thanks in no small part to the smash hit single ‘What’s It Like’, but after that he pretty much disappeared. Well, now he’s decided to dust down his character, resurrect the smokey-voiced musical interludes and get political on our asses. Sadly, the record doesn’t seem to gel too well. It’s all well and good preaching against the American occupation of Afghanistan (‘Kill The Emperor,’) but if you don’t have any memorable hooks then all you end up with is a washed-up MC who sounds like he smokes too much and listens to too many Dr John albums. The least said about the cover of ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ (which actually apes parts of House of Pain’s ‘Jump Around’) the better. Love, War And The Ghost of Whitey Ford, is the sound of a man clutching at straws.