VETERAN ROOTS ROCKER
RICH HOPE’S ALBUM SHOWS HE’S GOT STAYING POWER
Rich Hope: I’m All Yours | Planned Obsolescence Recording & Novelty Inc.
Rich Hope’s bio calls him a “veteran Pacific Northwest rocker.” There is no denying the Vancouver-based, Edmonton-born and raised musician has plied his trade here for decades. And as trends have come and gone, he’s stayed true to old-fashioned garage rock that just keeps keepin’ on.
However, Hope is more than just another four-note redux re-writer. His understanding of, and appreciation for, classic country and where it intersects with other styles means that he, drummer Adrian Mack, bassist Erik Nielsen and keyboardist Matt Kelly bring haggard harmonies, twang and more than a little Texas roadhouse honky-tonk to the session.
Here are five things to know about his new album, I’m All Yours:
1 VOCAL VARIATIONS
Opening with the Stones-y Blown Away, where Hope sounds like a dyed-in-the-wool country singer, the album ranges to the soul rocker in Heartbreaker to the Sterno-gargling blues crooner of Paranoia Blues and points beyond. The 10 tracks really showcase his singing voice. 2 GOLDEN CLOUDS
Possibly the highlight of the album, this Status Quo-meets-Fabulous Thunderbirds boogie has as near perfect a bass/drum snap intro as you’ll ever hear. Plus, Hope drops in the kind of guitar solo around the 2:45 mark that lead players should study. It’s succinct, melodic and tasty as can be. And was originally recorded by the criminally underappreciated Flamin’ Groovies. 3 RUNNIN’ SHOES
You know what more songs need? Cheesy keys and handclaps. Like the Sir Douglas Quintet roaring with methamphetamine, this is the kind of dance number you could see leaving some twisted ankles in its wake. 4 SOME KIND OF LOVE
The promo info mentions that pedal steel ace Scott Smith — known for hosting the excellent Adventures in Steel Guitar nights at the Heatley
— guests on Heartbreaker. But who is that blowing sax on Some Kind of Love? Because it totally kills. 5 LIVE AND KICKING
Hope has held down residencies around town with assorted groups for years, but of late is playing a bit less. It’s clear that I’m All Yours is perfect concert material. Watch his website richhope.ca. Also playing this week: Charles Bradley: Black Velvet (Dunham Records)
The final recording from the late soul singer, who would have turned 70 on Nov. 5, finds him in fine form. “The Screaming Eagle of Soul” is backed by his regular Daptone house band aces and rips it up on another session of originals and curious covers. Of these, Nirvana’s Stay Away is the best. From its super-reverberated wah-wah guitar to the slow, almost nasty, build to the chorus, Bradley delivers a fierce vocal. Even the cover of Neil Young’s Heart of Gold manages to find something in the tune that gives it new sheen. He was a fantastic interpreter, a skill all the great soul singers had but few still do. Les Finnigan: Counterpoint Conundrum (lesfinnigan.com)
A fixture on the acoustic guitar scene on the West Coast, Finnigan has compiled his finest counterpoint melodies and instrumentals on this 15-track recording covering the period 1997-2018. As the liner notes say, he is a modern composer working in a style most popular in the baroque era and presents it uniquely using a steel string guitar with alternate tunings (is that a DADGAD in there?) and a finger-and-flat pick technique. He’s a master, and tunes such as Bowl O’Cocobolo are just so uplifting that it’s great for the darker winter days.
Finnigan plays the 20th Annual West Coast Guitar Night with Kent Hillman, Edgar Avelino, Simon Fox, Itamar Erez, John Gilliat and Rossi Tzonkov, Nov. 24, 8 p.m., at The Cultch Historic Theatre. Tickets and info: thecultch.com SLUGish Ensemble: An Eight Out of Nine (Slow & Steady Records)
The debut from this group led by San Francisco-based jazz and classical musician and composer Steven Lugerner is described as a work of musical therapy to work through a breakup. Composing using the method of writing from memory and referencing favourite songs from the past, the album was recorded in three phases, adding in the different layers that make up the whole in the end. Bassist Todd Sickafoose, drummer Allison Miller, pianist Carmen Staaf and Lugerner on a literal orchestra of instruments also brought in a host of other musicians for the final product. What you get is near a hyper-modern big band or avant-garde orchestra that just bristles with energy and ideas. If the opening track the Tower doesn’t blow you away, skip to Red. On Like Roses you’ll see how the album captures so many moods and eras of jazz that it’s hard to classify. Swollen Members: Live at the Fox (Battle Axe Records)
If there is one thing that nobody can deny about this platinum-selling B.C. hip-hop crew, it’s that they throw down live. The 14 songs on this live album from the Fox Theatre in Boulder, Colo., are some of the band’s biggest crowd-pleasers. And the crowd is pleased, just getting right into the call-and-response of such rhyme-raging raps as Fuel Injected, Killing Spree and a fierce Too Hot. Without a doubt, this should reinforce the reputation of one of the best Canadian rap acts ever. It’s West Coast and it’s funky as ... that word.