Emanuel Casablanca – Strung Out on Thrills
Vinyl Recording Group
13 songs – 51 minutes
One of the most interesting artists in the blues world today, Emanuel Casablanca is a multi-dimensional musician who made his recording debut in 2022 with Blood on My Hands, a blues-rock extravaganza that featured Eric Gales, Albert Castiglia, Jimmy Carpenter and others in the lineup. And he follows it up in style with this beefy and intense stunner, a sophomore effort that includes contributions from BMA-winning powerhouse Joanna Connor and avant garde composer/multi-instrumentalist Elliott Sharp, too.
Emanuel’s no ordinary bluesman. Sure, he’s a guitarist and vocalist who’s worked with Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Daxx Nielsen of Cheap Trick, Doug Wimbush of Living Colour and Bernard Fowler of the Rolling Stones, but he’s a renegade overachiever who’s done much, much more.
Hailing from Brooklyn, N.Y., and the son of a music teacher/choir director mom, he’s an abstract and mixed-media artist who’s good enough to exhibit at the prestigious Art Basel show in Miami Beach. He’s also an actor who’s starred in commercials for Gillette, Coca-Cola and others. And he’s making his debut on the big screen later this year, playing the role of Worm in Mookie & Worm, a film directed by award-winner Onur Tukel. Casablanca portrays the manager of a former blues superstar who’s working himself back up from the bottom after falling from grace.
If you’re a fan of minor-key music, you’ll love this all-original effort, which was co-produced by Emanuel and Paul Howells. Casablanca is the only musician who appears on all tracks. The rotating lineup includes bassists Julian Chobot, Sam Lazarev, Cito Bass and Ian Forde, percussionists Donald Sturge Anthony McKenzie II, Max Freedberg, Blaque Dynamite, Supremo Massiv and Poyraz Aldemir and guitarist Eric Simon. Guest stars include Connor, Sharp and Laurence Henderson on six-string, vocalists Kelli Baker and Sir Malcolm Jamal and Slavo of the retro-pop duo Fly By Night.
The disc carries a parental advisory for explicit content because of the opening track, “Dogshit,” which opens with some real-life barks and features Connor as Emanuel launches into a slow-blues complaint about a wayward, about-to-be-ex lover whose “every word is a lie…” who “wouldn’t know the truth if it’s slapped across your face.” Searing guitar runs amplify the singer’s agony before he announces he’s heading for the door.
The tension continues in the driving “Strung Out on Thrills,” which finds the singer hooked on cocaine, awaiting his dealer, who’s running late after working nine-to-five, and realizing he’s about to lose his mind unless he gets high on something – hopefully love — while hoping he doesn’t O.D. The sweet, but gritty “Visceral,” which features Henderson, changes the mood slightly, describing meeting a beauty in New Orleans. The singer tries “to do right by her, but she keeps pushing me…” The complaints that follow flow like the Mississippi.
The slow-blues “Conniver” finds Casablanca confronting a gal who’s treated him like a fool before “The Farm” is driven by a repeating, funky acoustic guitar hook and delivered in trio format before the boastful “King” turns up the heat once more. Salvo joins the action and the music adopts an urban, Latin feel for “Pistoleró,” a warning to a rival that he’ll be easy to find – and that he’ll have his pistol in his hand. Then Connor and Baker team to spice up “Lass,” in which Emanuel knows things will change as soon as his lady arrives.
“Bastard” comes with a Chicago feel and more attitude – this time the woman’s hit the door – before Sharp’s stylish slide work puts a shine on “Morning Wood.” A syncopated beat and rap power “Pearl,” the tale of another troublesome lady, before bonus tracks – the demo cut, “My Life’s Fire,” and a suitable-for-the-masses version of “Dogs**t” – bring the album to a close.
Sure, there’s plenty of pain and suffering on this one. But the music overcomes everything. Totally different, and highly recommended.