Seasick Steve - Sonic Soul Surfer

Seasick Steve is a man of modest musical ambitions, limited technical skill and good humour, and this is precisely why his music is so enjoyable. It’s refreshing to see a musician who doesn’t rely on studio trickery of any form, letting the songs speak for themselves. That’s the blues. And that’s exactly what you get on his latest offering.
If you’re familiar with Seasick Steve, you know what you’re here for. It’s a wonderfully structured album, balancing Steve’s harder rocking, party-starting tendencies with his more nuanced, reflective side. The rockers truly rock, with swaggering John Lee Hooker beats on ‘Dog Gonna Play’ and ‘Sonic Soul Boogie’ that get the blood pumping.
When he slows down, he can be both endearing and frightening. “If them trees could tell what they’ve seen/ you’d never sleep again in peaceful dreams,” he sings on the haunting ‘In Peaceful Dreams’, over spooky banjo/fiddle accompaniment. Likewise, ‘Swamp Dog’ sounds like the soundtrack to dark deeds. Just as easily, though, he’ll surprise you with sweet lines like, “Write a letter/ a letter in the sand/ let the waves deliver it to me/ it will surely come” (‘Right On Time’).
Album closer ‘Heart Full of Scars’ is a solo acoustic meditation on Steve’s life. It’s a touching conclusion, but as he reminds us on 'We Be Moving,' he has no intention of slowing down till “that day when they lay me in the cold, cold ground.” May that day never come.

Key Track - 'Your Name'