Sheffield blues boys the Mudcat Blues Trio set out to make their mark with their album “Burn Down The City” and do so with a set distinguished by a spirited but respectful approach to the twelve bars of the past.
Much of this album’s appeal comes from the fluid guitar work of Chris Wagg. He reinvents conventionality on “Sweet Blood Call” with such fluidity that you would think he had been the originator. Then he stretches himself from a psychedelic initial flourish to solid as a seventies blues rock to add weight, and I mean a lot of weight, to “Burn Down The City”. You just can’t argue with the way he puts a fire in the belly of any song that he plays and, with more than a hint of playfulness, he duly fries his full English breakfast on “Mudcat Boogie”.
With the pace down slow however, it is the voice of Matt Doxey that comes to the fore. He brings a notable degree of grace to the straight down the line “Stop Playing The Blues” and makes the standard “Ain’t Nobody’s Business” his own. He’s the real deal too.
So there you have it. “Burn Down The City” is a British blues album that remains always respectful of the past but is nonetheless imbued with the spirit that can only be borne of a genuine passion for music. That, my friends, is fresh.