Dec 2020 – Beauwater
Beauwater Who Works For Who
Who Works for Who is the Third release from Newfoundland based blues rockers, Beauwater and follow up to their 2017 ECMA Blues Album of the Year, Lovers, Fools and Kings.
For this release the power trio welcomed back special guests Kelly Hoppe of Big Sugar on Harmonica, Chris Harnett on Saxophone, Terry Campbell on Trumpet and Chris Kirby on Keys. This is the line-up that helped fuel the success of the previous release. They’re back creating a more complete and textured sound on 10 original tracks of blues-soaked rock. As with their previous album, Beauwater defy being pigeonholed as one type of band or another. Their diversity, power and writing talent is beautifully on display with this new release.
The album opens with the title track, a high energy rocker, followed by a cut drenched in SRV vibes, “Flavor of the Week”.
Up next is “The New Disease”, a funky little cut that has Chris Kirby’s finger prints all over it. The 4th cut is a deep blues effort, “The Real McCoy”.
“Tonight She’s Gonna Burn”, the first ballad on the album, is a blues lament based on a true story. Up next is a funky, toe-tappin’ little ditty “Called Long Way Down”. It dares the listener not to want to get up and dance.
The number 7 cut is a walkin’ blues called “Nodding Off” that really brings the band’s blues chops to the forefront. This is followed up by a Jazzy little number “The Broken Man Behind The Wheel”, which is such a departure in sound and style, indicative of this band’s potential and diversity.
The Number 9 cut is “Poison”, a harp-drenched blues. The final cut on the album is the quirky “One Way Out”, an appropriately titled selection for what is Beauwater’s most diverse album to date. Over all a great album to listen to, that is even more fun to dance to. (Terry Parsons)