Shared Address is a home for the blues

 SHARED ADDRESS                      ANNIE (2020)

 

Curious how these things work. I attend a Gerald Clark gig and afterwards research Apple Music to see how much of his music is there and then come across a connection with Shared Address who toured with him a couple of years ago and on whose album he’s a featured vocalist on the track  “Maybe I’m a Fool.”

 

Shared Address biography tells me they’re  a Bloemfontein based duo of Joudie on guitar, mandolin, harmonica and stompbox. and Maureen on vocals and
percussion, whose music blends folk, blues, country and jazz ad who are inspired by the likes of Muddy Waters, Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald, BB King, Shovels and Rope, Jimi Hendrix, Jack White, Larkin Poe, amongst others.  A little bit old,  a little bit new.

 

What we have here is a very entertaining,  rootsy yet contemporary, stomping take on blues, with nods to soul and gospel, 

 

Maureen’s voice is reminiscent of Shelby Lynne, originally a country artist whose music mutated into another version of some of the same blues, country and rock influences Shared Address reference, and she has those same powerful pipes to energise the fast songs or to infuse emotional depth to the slow tunes.

 

“Maybe I’m a Fool,” a duet between Clark and Maureen is one of slow songs in a set of otherwise upbeat blues stompers and Clark, as usual, demonstrates why he is one of South Africa’s best soul blues  singers, a slightly melancholic foil to Maureen’s more strident approach which works exceptionally well on the rocking  blues.

 

“The Busker” Is the other slow one, a melodic soul/gospel anthem, with (I’m guessing) Joudie putting in his two cent’s worth on vocals too.

 

For the rest, the album is just upbeat, often raucous, juke joint fun.