Modern Blues
The Waterboys’ 11th studio album features Scotsman Mike Scott in Nashville working with Music City’s veteran session men to best capture his epic visions. At 56, Scott rages hard, opening with “Destinies Entwined,” as aggressive a rocker as he’s allowed his gypsy soul to wage, with longtime bandmate Steve Wickham fiddling his way to ecstasy. “Nearest Thing to Hip” bemoans the loss of book and record stores. “I Can See Elvis” relishes the need for heroes greater than ourselves, while “Long Strange Golden Road” begins with Jack Kerouac’s *On the Road* and recounts Scott’s life as a member of the counter-culture.
The folk rockers swirl soul and blues into their big music brew with some success, writes <strong>Paul Mardles</strong>
Mike Scott’s crew bring some psychedelic soul to the Big Music. CD new music review by Guy Oddy