Damon Fowler
(Blind Pig)
If Sugar Shack, Damon Fowler's major league debut album, sounds more assured and polished than one might expect, it's because the young, talented guitarist is a seasoned veteran of the competitive Florida blues music. For better than a decade, Fowler and crew have been plying their inspired, high-octane blend of blues-and-roots-rock. Even with a pair of studio discs and a live set under his belt, no amount of spit-shine can hide the gritty, essential nature of Fowler's raw, rocking sound.
Sugar Shack reminds a lot of the mid-‘70s halcyon days of Southern rock, when a bunch of long-haired country boys could mix British Invasion-inspired rock with Hank's hellbilly twang and Muscle Shoals soul and, if not dominate the charts and radio, at least give those Yanks and Brits a run for their money. Although Fowler's brand of Southern rock is buffed up and updated for a new millennia, the same reckless spirit can be found threaded throughout the songs here.
"I Hope It's Gonna Rain" is a kudzu-creeping, knotty cypress root of a song, a bluesy swamp-rock wildfire that showcases Fowler's wicked six-string skills and ability to hold the listener in the palm of his hand. The haunting "James" is a cry-in-your-beer tearjerker featuring Fowler's weeping fretwork, while the title track is a slow-burning rocker with a sly backwoods beat and a Southern-fried funk undercurrent.
Just to keep things interesting, Fowler throws in a handful of choice covers among the dozen songs on Sugar Shack. Merle Haggard's "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down" finds the band in full-blown honky-tonk mode with a raucous tempo, rolling drumbeats, and a rhythmic backbone as strong as an old oak tree. The Amazing Rhythm Aces' hit "Third Rate Romance" is provided a slinky, exotic rhythm, Fowler's best uptown vocals, and shocks of jagged slide-guitar.
A spry cover of Billy Joe Shaver's "I'm Just An Old Chunk Of Coal" closes out Sugar Shack, blowing the doors off their hinges with Fowler's fleet-fingered picking and the band's swaggering instrumental backing. Although Fowler's is still trying to find his voice as a singer - his twangy vocals are a bit thin in places - his impressive talents as a guitarist and songwriter are well served by Sugar Shack, an encouraging and thoroughly entertaining debut.
Standout Tracks: "I Hope It's Gonna Rain," "Wrong Side Of The Road," "James" REV. KEITH A. GORDON
