Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
When we look to America for inspiration, we tend to look to the East and West Coasts, it may be natural too certain eyes to do so, after all it is the purpose of trade to navigate the oceans between lands and to only seek what is within when the deep sea has been navigated, when the water that separates us has been tamed enough for a single crossing in which ideas and philosophies can be exchanged.
We must though listen to the soul of experience, we must not deny what comes Straight From The Heart, that to understand the outer edges, we must seek what comes from within, and in the case of dynamic social conscious, that which we ignore is more than worth fighting for, we should be embracing with as much ease as what is out the outside.
Louisiana is a hotbed of imagination, the southern state has arguably influenced millions with its culture, its beauty, its sense and mix of differing styles and patterns of performance, and yet we are dominated by the east and west coast, the industry of one, the play of the other, and yet we have, to our own detriment, overlooked the heart, unnoticed the impact of what comes from down south, the swamp blues, the jazz, and the true American roots; and it is to be thanked that Kenny Neal, himself a second generation giant whose artistry is without question, has returned with such a sweeping, relaxed, but as tight as a metal top clamped down on a bottle of beer, and generously played album in Straight From The Heart.
To be inspired by your own town, the place you call home is akin to finding angels and sirens battling over your soul, both pushing you to express the deep reflections of the face of the streets and the grand entrances to which give authority to the place, but also to acknowledging that a city is nothing without its historical underneath, the heart, the beating organ of acceptance, union, rebellion, anger, and hope.
This assembly of angels and sirens requires administration, and it is to the tradition of the performer that takes his Baton Rouge industry and belief and delivers an album of powerful intent. Notes that wash over the listener as easy as a soft flannel wiping away the days sweat, but with teeth that would make an alligator think twice of attacking.
Across heartbeats that take on the guise of musical emotions, such as the opener Blues Keep Chasing Me, I’ll Play The Blues For You, Two Timing, It Don’t Cost Anything, Somewhere Somewhere, and New Orleans, the feeling of iconic starts to take shape, as the heart grows richer and dines out on gourmet lyrics and sensitive blends of style, so the idea of only allowing the gaze to stare upon certain parts of U.S.A.’s rich tapestry of influence seems foolish, even disparaging, and one that Kenny Neal is willing to show us in its complete reveal.
A scintillating album, one that captures the fury of expression that shapes the Bayou, and one that is beautiful to the heart and to the outer senses; Kenny Neal has exposed his belief as one to be Straight From The Heart and it is a pleasure to be found in its company.
Kenny Neal releases Straight From The Heart on May 20th on Ruf Records.
Ian D. Hall