Last Hurrrah! - Mudflowers

My chosen superlative adjectives notwithstanding, 'Mudflowers' shall not count as one of the greatest albums ever recorded, though the third The Last Hurrah! album marks one of the greatest surprises in recent times to have come to my ears. With touches of Motown soul music and Kentucky Americana, 'Mudflowers' is a most unlikely brew. Helped along the way by folk music in permafrost Scandinavian tundra fashion, the album goes deep, digging the blues on for example the, indeed, muddy 'You Soothe Me'. Both introverted as well as carefree, 'Mudflowers' blends Nordic Soul music with Americana from the swamps. 'Tried to Lose You' features the production touches of Norman Whitfield within a musical mindframe of stylistic string arrangements and soft-toned tailored percussion. The strings on the opening track, 'Okay', are equally disorientating. With its jazzy keynotes and swinging rhythms, it is all as if Oslo is the capital of soul. Honky tonk steel guitar licks tiptoe through 'Mudflowers' as if they can't decide between country and western, Americana, psychedelic folk or jazz soul music. Think of the 'Theme from Shaft' dished up in stews you would never have thought possible. One of 2015's most adventurous releases, 'Mudflowers' counts as an immaculate enterprise in fusion music. The silent force behind this magic goes by the name of Hans Petter Gundersen. File under: pop, jazz, blues, soul, folk, country and western and film. Not a mouthful at all, sooner it would be just a taste.

Track Listing:-

1 Okay
2 The Weight Of The Moon
3 Can´t Wait No More
4 Fairweather Friend
5 You Ain´t Got Nothing
6 Those Memories
7 Is it Me ?
8 You Soothe Me
9 Tried To Lose You
10 The Ji