The Wildcat O’Halloran Band routinely drops a new album roughly each year. Their new work, Welcome To Sunderland, celebrates the quirkiness of small town life there as well as the glory of blues music and its usefulness in our sometimes challenging lives. Welcome To Sunderland raises the bar somewhat from previous O’Halloran albums by diving even deeper int blues music and by playing it even cooler, hipper than he ever has.
“Welcome Wagon” opens the album with O’Halloran’s whistling blues lead guitar sweet melody. An old time piano line, too, fuels the honky tonk atmosphere. O’Halloran’s smooth, emotive voice delivers the lyrics with an understated glee, a wink, nod, and a nudge that he enjoys or used to enjoy the sort of fun mentioned in this song.
O’Halloran’s acknowledgment of ex lovers who won’t go away becomes amusing in “What Part Of Broken Up.” His easy going vocal phrasing brings more humor to his gripes about those who won’t simply go away. As usual, his adept lead guitar work shines through with its quick twists and turns as a simmering blues organ fills the open space with something soulful
“Check Her Mama” warns of the perils of connecting with a woman who has a nasty mother. She will not only look like her but she will also behave like her. O’Halloran wraps his voice around the witty lyrics with a smooth aplomb, milking them for all their worth. His guitar playing, also in fine shape, brings a sharp arc to his amusing caveat. Meanwhile, Ottomatic Slim’s harmonic wiggles its way through with plenty of sweet notes perking up cleverly.
The send up song “Jody” pokes plenty of fun at a man who stirs up a lot of infidelity. O’Halloran coolly delivers the lyrics about this man who has his share of women as well as his share of other men’s women. The chorus gets a fun work out too, male and female9Sarah O’Halloran) call and response. O’Halloran’s lead guitar line swaggers with as much pride as Jody, twisting and turning like a snake charmer.
Slow boiler “Worried Life Blues” finds O’Halloran paying out a sleek, elegant guitar line, emotive and precise. Its weepy tone and world weary expression carries the belly of the song. From there, O’Halloran carries it with his raw vocal, heartfelt, and exposed. Beside that voice and guitar is a tender piano line from Paul Provost, a down tempo sprawl from the ivories that layers this piece with something real and equally expressive. We can also hear the good touches from the drums and bass guitar, fills that help punctuate and a low end line that keeps it feeling deep.
John Mayhall’s “Key To Love” provides a fine vehicle for O’Halloran to show off a little on his guitar, sharp, precise notes riding the joy ride groove to the party. He really grinds out his assertive lines, pacing each assertion just right, just enough at a time until he lets loose with with a wiry phrase. Of course, were there’s smoke, there’s fire. Drums, bass guitar, and a busting organ each chime in with a perfect, fun feel.
O’Halloran’s arrangement of “Blues Of The Month Club” shows his ability to deliver bitter lyrics that the listener can relate to. His lonesome vocal, his wearisome guitar work, and a sorrowful piano line create a feeling that that audience can relate to even better then the lyrics. This song perfectly captures how it feels to belong to this club.
O’Halloran’s own “Afraid Of My Phone” shows more of his sense of humor, everyone needs something from him, so he has become weary of their calls. A bittersweet harmonica line nails the love for people we’d rather love from a distance. Ottomatic Slim’s harp makes a case for the exhausted soul with phrasing that feels like tears.
A bracing original “Don’t Knock My Love” features O’Halloran’s feistiest guitar work, a few extra notes jumping forward sharply. His call and response from his chorus singers adds to the tension. This is certainly an action packed song, a lot of aggressive instrumentation wrapped around a tight, rocking groove.
Spry, rocking, original, “Don’t Knock My Love” pushes forward with O’Halloran’s adventurous guitar riffs. He injects enough attitude per meter to keep you listening before his sly call and response with his girl chorus. He lets loose with a guitar phrase that’s noted for the twisty action he likes to press out on his electric six string.
His ode to one of his idols, “Muddy Waters Is Home” lets O’Halloran exclaim his fondness for his down to earth approach, his familiarity with ordinary people. O’Halloran’s dirty edge on guitar gives this a solid kick as Ottomatic Slim’s sweet harmonica line furthers the joyful celebration. The rhythm section keep things punchy enough for the upper registers to keep upping the ante. Ottomatic Slim brings his harp to an even higher level, taking over the main melody line with his rollicking high notes.
“Goin’ Down Slow” begins with a mellow narrative about western Massachusetts’s hard working logger looking for action with the local college girls. O’Halloran continues telling the intro story with a tasteful crawl from his electric six string. He accompanies his post-drinking condition of the narrative with subtle injections from Ottomatic Slim’s greasy, sliding harmonica as well as some carefully paced drum fills and low end nudges. It doesn’t get much bluesier than a song of personal regret shadowed by emotive playing from the entire band, their low key playing deep in the soul and also deep in the pocket.
Joyous jumping blues “Too Big To Cry” gives us O’Halloran’s ability to poke fun at human foibles, the kind he sees every day. His edgy lead guitar phrase and Ottomatic Slim’s sharp harmonica line ride the fun chunk of groove laid down beneath them by drummer Jopey Fitzpatrick and bass guitarist Angelo Mursey, two players who know how to keep the motion of this song as entertaining as the sense of humor.
Closing out with “Born Under A Bad Sign,” O’Halloran leaves us another chunk of blues with this Stax Records classic. O’Halloran pays a respectable tribute to the original guitar line with his assertive edge, plenty of grit in his notes and note bending, making this move like a live wire. Drums and bass guitar lock into a hopped up groove that might have presaged the funk music of the 1970s. This straight forward presentation works wonders as Albert King originally designed it to have plenty of snap, crackle, and pop.
This Welcome To Sunderland album might be O’Halloran’s best yet. He dives deeper into blues than ever before, whips out plenty of fine blues grist on his six string, and his backing band are as feisty as ever. Hopefully, while touring on this new album, Wildcat O’Halloran Band will be coming soon to a venue near me and you.
