Halley DeVestern Band – Keep On Playin’
Self-Release – 2017
5 tracks; 22 minutes
The band is based in NYC and this is their third release, the previous one Fabbo! Boffo! Smasho! (also an EP) having been described as ‘balls-to-the-wall Blues Rock Funk with a splash of Swampaloo’, so blues fans have been warned that blues is only a small part of what the band play! Halley handles lead vocals with Steve Jabas and David Patterson on guitars and keys, Tom Heinig on bass and Rick Kulsar on drums; everyone contributes backing vocals. All the material is original, Halley and Tom writing four of the songs and the whole band credited on the title track.
“Keep On Playin’” sets out in Southern Rock style with some attractive slide work but the song itself seemingly runs out of inspiration with endless repetition of the title towards the end. “Time For You To Light Things” has a funk base with plenty of harmony vocals and an element of rap while the gentlest tune here, “Bangin’” takes us into a sort of AOR sound (think Heart). “Song In You” sounds very 80’s pop with lots of synth work and pure rock guitar solos; “Hit Twice” starts promisingly with some swampy slide but Halley’s histrionic vocals are really over the top.
Halley did sing with Big Brother & The Holding Company for a spell and the disc demonstrates that she has the sort of big voice and personality that audiences often like but there is little or no real blues content here.
