Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
The smell of the Deep South, the history, both devastating and brutal and at times glorious and electrifying; you could be there sitting on a wooden porch listening to sound of crickets as they mock the alligators that wait patiently ready to snap, feeling the noxious aroma of sweat running down the back of a horse’s fetlock that stands idly by flicking its tail back and forth and the thoughts of a night in local bar with a crowd of people enjoying a tasty night of Blues. The Deep South has that all to offer…even it seems when it comes in the form of Denmark’s The Mojo Makers and the tremendous follow up to Wait Till the Morning, the thumping Devils Hands.
The memory may play tricks on you, it will do all it can to influence your thought that this music, its slow beautiful build up and crushing lyrics has got to be from along the banks of the yawning, tumbling Mississippi and not nestled somewhere near the statue of the Little Mermaid and the close ties to mainland Europe. However, Devils Hands is so charismatic, so in tune with the rumbling South and its inspired music that the songs roll back and forth with vigour like a sun lounger being pushed by a family of children trying to get their father to come to attention.
Attention is what is needed, the full blown hour of concentration and full awareness of spirit when taking in every single note on and word play on offer from Kasper Osman, Kristian Hoffman, Lars Emil Riss Madsen, Kristian Bast and Morton Haesum*, for this is an album that has its Mojo, quite literally, running all the way through it. Without awareness, without feeling that deep south river lapping at your toes and the thought of 19th century paddle steamers running up and down the watery highway, the spirit is lost and becomes futile; for nothing should get in the way of hearing tracks such as Come On Brother, the excellent Howl Away, Indian Woman, One True Love, Naja and the album title track Devils Hands, nothing of any consequence should bar the listener’s full enjoyment.
If Wait Till the Morning was the starting point and this is Mojo Makers’ great retort then who knows where this fine young Danish band will end up next. A smash of seismic Blues proportions!
Ian D. Hall