Larry Howard's latest album treads a road he's walked many times before. The tenth track is titled "Blessed With The Blues" and it is obvious that Howard wants to share the blessing with his listeners. So no surprises when the music consists mostly of laid back blues, with the odd country or reggae influence slipping through from time to time.
It is also obvious that the blues aren't all Howard wants to share
with his listener, as his lyrics are filled with references to his faith.
So it is that we learn that he and Jesus aren't afraid of no boogie man
on the opening track, that we all need to pray, and that he knows a real
miracle man. Blues musicians aren't known for their subtlety, and Howard
certainly follows in that tradition; at times there's something appealing
about the certainty in his words, but unfortunately that tends to fade
as the level of cliche becomes more evident.
The musicians are experienced players and show it with solid performances throughout, but there's nothing that really shows much imagination. Perhaps future albums should be held off until something a bit more interesting can be brought out.
James Stewart (5/12/99)
