Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
The sleeves have got to rolled up and the fierce nature of love has got to show its face without fear, but with humility of spirit firmly set on the irresistible belief that good and reason will win the day when dark days threaten to overwhelm us.
Courage is never to be discouraged, and a Heart Of Fire must always be acknowledged as being one to follow, to see it rage, to feel its passion, the rolled up sleeves of industry might get scorched from the orange flames of the personal inferno that builds, but at least they will have been touched by greatness, by a soul willing to endow real meaning to the phrase “Youth Quake“.
If the start of the 21st Century was one in which Blues was reinvented, almost saved from the mire it was slowly sinking into, by the likes of Joanne Shaw Taylor and Joe Bonamassa, then arguably the genre requires its second shot in the arm from the mind of one who was born around the time of the clocks ticking down to midnight and who is influenced by youth rather than the memory of what was rusting around her at the time.
Like Joe Bonamassa, Ally Venable gained her stripes early, like Joe Bonamassa, she has not sat down on her laurels and allowed the time in between first appearance and her early twenties to be one of barren introspection and teenage regret, what she has insisted on doing is building from the foundations up and whilst this house of fire is not yet complete, the view from the steps leading to the grand gate is astonishing, beautiful and full of emotional sensitivity that hangs resplendent on the strong walls provided.
This is not the time for weak substitutes or pale imitations, strength of character is required, and as tracks such as Played The Game, Road To Nowhere, which features the incredible talent of Devon Allman, the superb Do It In Heels, Sad Situation, Use Me and the blistering edge of the combination with Kenny Wayne Shepherd in the song Bring On The Pain, this 21 year old’s continued success which saw productions as No Glass Shoes and Texas Honey dominate the thoughts of the listener, is assured to keep stoking the fires of each and everyone’s heart in this new and sensational recording.
Heart Of Fire, a soul of passion, Ally Venable has returned to light the way forward for 21st Century Blues.
Ally Venable releases Heart Of Fire on February 26th.
Ian D. Hall