Bex Marshall – The House Of Mercy (2013)
Artist: Bex Marshall
Album: The House Of Mercy
Genre: Blues
Label: House Of Mercy Records
Origin: UK
Year Of Release: 2013
Quality: mp3, 320 kbps
Tracklist:
01 – House Of Mercy [00:04:06]
02 – Love [00:03:34]
03 – Bite Me [00:03:54]
04 – Gone Fishin [00:03:48]
05 – Rent My Room [00:04:11]
06 – Rattlesnake [00:04:44]
07 – Tough Times [00:03:36]
08 – Big Man [00:03:44]
09 – Bourbon Street [00:04:54]
10 – Barry’s Song [00:03:43]
11 – Guilty [00:03:31]
Bex Marshall kicks out some raunchy, sashaying, gospel-inflected, guitar-goddess-driven, rocking blues on her latest full-length, House of Mercy. This is a terrific album from start to finish, full of unexpected moments, ranging from the gospel-rock styling of the title track to the stomping closer, “Guilty”. Marshall isn’t a belter, but her voice is able to curdle and moan expressively, and her fingerpicking and string-bending are impressive. Slow tunes? Got ’em (“Rattlesnake”, “Barry’s Song”). Uptempo booty shakers? Got those too (“Love”, “Bourbon Street”). An array of instruments flesh out the basic guitar-drums-bass sound, with everything from harmonica on “Bite Me” to dobro and mandolin on the title track to banjo on the excellent chug-a-lug of “Tough Times”. This is boogie-woogie roadhouse stomp at its best, elevated by precise musicianship, gutsy vocals and Marshall’s relentless unwillingness to do the same thing over and over. Give a listen and put yourself at her mercy. You’ll be glad you did.
By David Maine
