Tricki-Woo Records
Nashville-based Larkin Poe, the Grammy nominated roots rock sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell, have released their sixth studio album, “Blood Harmony”, which they co-produced alongside guitarist Tyler Bryant (of Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown). The pair are extremely talented songwriters, storytellers and multi-instrumentalists, particularly Rebecca on vocals and Megan’s slide guitar virtuosity, which is reminiscent of Bonnie Raitt and at times, Derek Trucks.
The record starts simply and builds nicely, with “Deep Stays Down”, where there is some enjoyable guitar picking and blues preaching. It doesn’t take long for the electric blues to kick in on the following track “Bad Spell”, with Megan’s lap steel and Rebecca’s riffs in full swing. It is easy to imagine Rival Sons performing this one, with its powerful vocals and fuzz guitar. It’s the band’s response to «I Put a Spell On You» by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. There are catchy choruses too, such as on the classic southern rock “Southern Comfort”, and gutsy rockers like “Bolt Cutters and the Family Name” (“You can take me out of the fight, but you can’t take the fight out of me”) and “Summertime Sunset”. There is a beautiful ballad “Might as Well Be Me”, one of the vocal highlights of the record in which Rebecca delivers a stunning, soaring vocal performance, and it’s hard not to think of Etta James.
Larkin Poe have become one of the world’s leading bands in the blues rock scene, and if you haven’t seen them live yet, The Girls Are Back in Town! You can see them preaching the blues at Rockefeller on 7 October 2023.
4,5/6 | Anne-Marie Forker
Release date: 11 November 2022