ROSCO LEVEE —FINAL APPROACH TO HOME (Red Train Records)

[Maurice Hope]

http://www.roscoelevee.com 

Kent singer-songwriter, lead and slide guitarist and percussionist Rosco Levee with the aid of band members Lee Wilson (pianos, Hammond organ), Simon Gardiner (bass guitar, percussion, backing vocals), Andy Hayes (rhythm guitar, mandolin) and David Tettmar (drums, backing vocals) plus guest appearances from Peter Jackson (banjo, percussion) Duncan MacKay (trumpets), Ian Culter (violin) and Lee Charles (harmonica) comes through with a superb at times wall to wall sounding album.

 

Influenced by the likes of The Band, Faces and Rolling Stones one of the band’s greatest strengths is Levee’s rocking guitar supported by rip-roaring Hammond organ, piano and percussion and a bunch of songs that more often than not speak of leaving home, just as Roscoe himself has. As city life was exchanged for a quieter life in the country.

 

While the swirling near Sonny Landreth styled (opened) ‘Goldrush’ has already seen airplay and gained a fan in Glen Campbell on the other side of the pond there is a lot more than driven guitar powered music to their work. For instantly appealing and more finer toned is the mandolin, piano and generally warm ‘Never Stops’ that speaks of the Delta and the South and could just as easily come from there! In fact the band’s harmony vocals and all round togetherness on the likes of the chugging ‘Whatever You Need’ (c/w mandolin, harmonica etc) low down soulful and aptly titled ‘I Got Soul’ producing some tasty slide are real neighbourly too. ’97-3’ is another of those fire-burning, incessant, guitar thrusting tracks sure to get a live audience bouncing and listener pump up the volume and think these guys can really rock your socks off! 

 

Of the remaining tracks the cranked-up ‘Headlight Burn’ crashes headlong into the fray as Levee speaks of ‘running too long, how he lost his soul in a barroom fight and of how there is no stopping for cops’, a road song and a good one it is too. ‘Old Bessie’ comes out fast and never eases up as a lightning fast rhythm and general thrusting of lead guitar and piano smatter yet another fine one from Roscoe. With only a couple of songs left Jackson's banjo is introduced on ‘Ol’ Shanky Shake’ that is a country blues affair of standard quality without offering anything more and that leaves the grand finale ‘When You’re Gone To Rambling’ rocks like a biker’s roadhouse. Real southern, it is so good I can see this one become a biggie on the other side of the pond if offered to the right audience —so dynamic is the guitar work and rhythm.       

 

                                                            Maurice Hope