Steve Louw – Traces Of The Flood
BFD
10 songs time – 35:09
After repeated listenings to South African singer-songwriter-guitarist, I can’t help but noticing his voice having a slight resemblance to the late Ronnie Lane of The Small Faces, Faces, and solo work, but I digress. From what I can gather, he wrote all the well-crafted songs. If that isn’t enough, he enlisted a top-flight band for this effort that includes Doug Lancio and Bob Britt on electric and acoustic guitar, mandolin. First call keyboard man Kevin McKendree, Greg Morrow on drums and percussion, Alan Prestwood bass, Chris Cheney and Jade Macrae on backing vocals. The music stays mainly in the blues-rock and rock lanes.
The intro to “Traces Of The Flood” recalls that of Jimi Hendrix’s to “All Along The Watchtower” as acoustic and electric guitars create tension with the organ, similar to Jimi’s. Steve’s mild but commanding voice is poignant here as elsewhere throughout the recording. “Tumbling Down” is a dramatic reading about belonging. Atmospheric weeping electric guitar cascades over strummed acoustic, reminiscent of “Exile On Mainstreet” era Rolling Stones permeates “Echo Dream”. The Stones swagger continues in the saga of a girl dreaming of being a rodeo star, “Angeline”. Kevin McKendree contributes the requisite honky-tonk piano stylings.
Thumping drums charge along with the guitars on the tale of a punk rock Christmas on “CBGB Xmas”. The Ronnie Lane vocal and delivery comparison is evident on “Light Of Day (Woody’s Blues)”. More energetic Ronnie-isms on the Brit Beat-meets-country “Across The River”. Another “Watchtower” intro, this time leading into George Harrison-like slide guitar on the urgent “Dark Pony”. A tom-tom beat percolates the night drive of “Into The Night”. A touch more Ronnie against ringing guitars on the closing “Time To Move”.
A fine effort. The Ronnie and Hendrix nuances are apparently accidental. Surely not imitation. This is a worthy recording from musicianship, singing and lyrics. I find bright outings as this to be refreshing, and it renews my faith in quality music.
