The Wicked Lo-Down – Out Of Line
Gulf Coast Records
13 tracks
This is the Gulf Coast Records debut for the New England band The Wicked Lo-Down and it is a truly rocking good time! They are a blues rock band that formed in 2020 just before the lock down. They channel their inner Johnny Winter and T-Birds styled Texas blues and New England R&B to create a uniquely cool sound. This is their second release overall and has 11 originals and a pair of covers that they made their own.
The band’s founders are harp player and vocalist Nick David and guitarist Paul Size. More on them later. Jeffrey Berg adds guitar and backing vocals and the back line players are Brad Hallen on bass and Nick Toscano on drums. Mike Zito and Monster Mike Welch each appear on guitar for one song apiece.
The band immediately tears at the listener with their opening number “Kill Me Or Keep Me,” a hot blues rocker with in your face vocals, harp and guitar. It took little time for them to convince me they are the real deal! They follow that with “Marchin’ On,” a cut that reminded me a little of being a Northeastern Lynard Skynard song. Strip out that Southern accent and voila! Another blues rocking good time with a toe tapping cut that grabs the listener. “Bogeyman” is a big R&B cut with vibrant vocals and a sublime groove. Gritty, grimy and cool stuff as the guitar and vocals trade off licks and then we get a strident guitar solo to enjoy. “Out Of Line” is a driving cut that gets the heart pumping. Zito and Size guitar’s both blaze and the band lets it all hang out here with some more nice solo work on guitar and big vocals.
“The Wildest One (Lester’s Boogie)” is a tribute to The Red Devil’s Lester Butler.” This is quite the apt tribute with nastily good harp and vocals and another big sone that makes you want to get up and boogie. Britany Spears released “Toxic” in 2004. Synth beat, a pop vocals and sound are transformed into a hard driving blues shuffle with stinging guitar by Mike Welch and some slightly distorted vocals. I had to go watch Spears music video to convince myself this was the same song. It’s an amazing transformation. Next up is “Action Woman,” another driving and passionate blues rocker that will drive your pulse through the roof.
“If I” follows that, and here the boys turn down the heat for a pretty, slow blues that is heartfelt and emotive stuff. Great slow blues. “Dime Store Darling” easily could be a Fabulous Thunderbirds song. It’s a slick, Texas sort of blues rocker. “You Don’t Know Me” gives us some -more fiery guitar and harp to enjoy.
“Vanna Be” showcases Size on guitar. Size is a Texan and was schooled by many of the greats there before moving to LA and becoming a Red Devil. Here his guitar tells us of his masterful lineage and schooling– wow! It’s 2:33 of pure guitar bliss. They follow that with “Put Up With You,” a bit of a rhumba that David shows off his vocal prowess; more cool stuff for sure! The album concludes with Hound Dog Taylor’s “I Just Can’t Make It,” a heavy duty, driving shuffle with wicked (no pun) Hound Dog style slide guitar and groove. David howls he lead vocals and Size gives another hot performance to leave the listener wanting more.
David spent 25 years working his craft; shouting the blues and playing some wild harp are his trademarks. As a member of Mr. Nick & the Dirty Tricks he had a Billboard charted release (Oh Wow)that was produced by Curtis Salgado. He had performed with a Who’s Who of blues greats over the years.
Size has spent four decades honing his skills and his Texas upbringing shines in his guitar. He left Texas at 19 to join the Red Devils. Since then he’s released and album and appeared on may others. His list of notables he’s worked with in the blues and rock work include Mick Jagger, Los Lobos, the Allman Brothers, the Thunderbirds and Ronnie Earl, just to name drop a few of them.
Hallen, Berg and Toscano are no slouches, either, each with over 30 years of experience. They are fine musicians in their own right with hundreds of album and thousands of appearances under their belts. What a fine band!
This is a superb album. It belongs in the collection of any blues rock fan. I most highly recommend this one!
