Sena Ehrhardt – Live My Life | Album Review

senaehrhardcdSena Ehrhardt – Live My Life

Blind Pig Records

www.senaehrhardt.com

11 tracks/46 minutes

Live My Life follows 2011’s Leave the Light On and 2013’s All In. From debut to three hit albums in just about three years is amazing. She and her guitar player Cole Allen have written seven of the eleven tracks for her third album and they’ve done a fine job. Her keyboard player offered up another and add in thoughtfully selected covers and we have a smoking hot album!

Sena’s band features Allen on guitar and vocals, St. Paul Peterson ad Rick Rousell on bass, Michael Band on drums (except for two tracks with Paul Peterson), and Bruce McCabe on keys for 8 tracks. Smokin’ Joe Kubek makes a guest appearance on one cut and Jimi “Primetime” Smith plays rhythm guitar on another track.

Things start off with “Stakes Have Gone Up” which was written by McCabe. Sena growls her way through this jumping hot tune as the band provides a super backdrop for a great opening cut. Rocking blues with a driving beat with Allen and McCabe leading the cause make for a cool and interesting hook. “Things You Shouldn’t Need to Know” follows where Allen gets to offer up a very wicked guitar solo and Kubek appears with his even more wicked slide but it is Sena’s vocal prowess that really sells this song long before the solo. She nails it. As she states “Nobody tells you” what the title says you become a believer fast.

“Slow Down” offers up Sena doing her sultry best. Allen does another great solo and they rock on together for another nice cut. “Help Me Through the Day” slows things down significantly as Ehrhardt’s delivers this Leon Russell ballad with thoughtfully restraint; Cole also show the same approach on his solo; another winner! Allen’s “Life My Life” is a mid-tempo swinging blues rocker that works and then Sena’s rocker “Chilled to the Bone” follows that also works quite well.

“Too Late to Ask” is another Allen tune where Ehrhardt and Allen share the vocals on this softer side of rock duet. He holds his own vocally with Sena and both deliver a superb performance. The funk comes out for “Everybody is You” as Sena does a little more growling and Allen offers up a stinging solo. Albert Collin’s “If Trouble Was Money” has McCabe tinkling the piano keys as Allen cautiously intros with his guitar. Sena then comes in and sings the blues for us sweetly. “Did You Ever Love Me at All” has Ehrhardt asking the question and Allen answering it in another well done blues rocker. They conclude with “Come Closer,” a slow, country rocking blues ballad that closes with big finish.

The album is a good one. More rock than blues, Sena and the band she has assembled takes a more mainstream approach and they’ve assembled an album that could gain a lot of cross-over notice for her. Her vocals are strong and she is confident in her approach. I enjoyed listening to this one!

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