DocFell & co. offer the true grit and soul of the blues with “Dust Bowl Heart”. Passionately played their attention to detail is admirable. The arrangements are truly raw with the right sort of instrumentation: from the western twang of the guitar to the careful fiddle work, the entire album simply drives forward with such power. Right at the very heart of the album is the flawless lyricism, which represents a poetic narrative, one that reflects upon all the rights and wrongs that define a life.
Setting the tone for the album is the amazing opener “Lonesomeville”. At first offering up a little bit of heat behind the song the piece comes into full bloom in a majestic, life-affirming way. An infectious groove takes hold on the memorable work of “The Less I Know”. Delivered as a full rush is the slide-guitar led bliss of “Love Sick” where DocFell & co. show off their wry sense of humor. Fragile in approach is the jazz inflections of “Oklahoma Lady” with a little tenderness added for good measure. Coming on strong is the celebratory “Dandelions”. Wistful in tone is the sadness of “Tumbling Dice”. By far the highlight of the album is the rich sound of the title track “Dust Bowl Heart”. Bringing things to a satisfying conclusion is the punching power of “This Machine”.
With “Dust Bowl Heart” DocFell & co. create a potent powerful album that touches the very soul.
By – beachsloth.com
