Hard Blue are a 3-piece based in Denver Colorado and, while they veer to the rock side of the genre, their Blues is undoubted. Shaun Skillin does the trick with guitar and vocals, Jim Hayek does the same with bass and vocals and Craig DeWolf lays the smack down with his drums. This isn’t incredibly original in form but there is something about the music on this album that had me boogieing around the room in time to the groove of a number such as I Dron’t Dink, catching my breath to the gorgeous slow Blues of Mercy For The Fool or headbanging to the power blast of Crazy World. Looking at the faces on the back cover, I get the impression that these guys have been around the block for a while but there is nothing on their website to fill in the gaps. However, their blurb suggests that they came together specially to create this album and the results are definitely pointing in the right direction. They seem capable of moving from power Blues to the sweetest of soulful Blues ballads – Crying Guitar Blues is particularly fine – and their individual skill are definitely well developed. Bass lines from Jim Hayek really impressed me – more often than not the bassist in a three piece only holds down the rhythm but he really has a melodic edge to his playing – and Shaun Skillin’sguitar line switch easily between riff laden rock and soulful soloing. Definitely one of the better albums of its type I’ve heard this year.
ANDY SNIPPER /
Blues Matters! magazine /bluesmatters.com