Righteousness & Humanity

No, the album title isn’t a misprint, but rather a play on words about what happens when you mix fundamentalist religion with a hot climate. Recorded mostly in New Orleans, this CD is the British singer/guitarist’s homage to the American South, featuring old-time songs and tunes like ‘John Hardy’ and ‘Some Dark Holler’ alongside five original compositions inspired by Simpson’s experiences Stateside. In addition to acoustic and electric guitars, Simpson plays ukelele, slide guitar, lap steel and five-string banjo, demonstrating his brilliantly fluid fingerpicking chops. A uniformly excellent collection, the ears prick up particularly when Simpson decides to rock out, as on his bluesy interpretation of ‘The Coo Coo Bird’, but the opposite holds true as well: his spare, quiet setting of the ancient ballad ‘Georgie’ is simply spellbinding.