John Fohl’s latest CD, his first as a leader in more than a decade, represents a satisfied man’s blues. After an extended stay in Dr. John’s Lower 911—where he was called upon to play everything from flashy solos to funky rhythms—this set’s about rediscovering the joys of homelife and relaxed grooves.
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On the shuffling opener “Ice Water,” the singer proclaims confidence (with a nice Elvis allusion, “Never caught a rabbit, but that don’t mean I never will”) even if the woman of his dreams is unattainable. She gets attained by the third track, the ballad “Do or Die,” where Fohl’s revealed as a John Hiatt-type songwriter, the kind who can write about love and separation without getting tripped up by sentiment. And Hiatt would likely appreciate the late-night highway ambiance on “Baby Moons.” He pulls off a swing to darker territory on “Vera’s Lament”, apparently about a hit and run, which has a bit of Morphine (in the sense that rockers with baritone sax usually do) and a spooky feel out of his Dr. John days.
With only one track topping four minutes, there isn’t room for a lot of fancy fretwork. And his best instrumental moments aren’t even the solos, but the elegant fingerpicking on “Angel in Disguise” and his slide-guitar dialogue with Johnny Sansone’s harmonica on “That Whip Don’t Work on Me,” which harks back to Clapton’s reggae-tinged ‘70s work. The guest appearances are likewise understated, whether it’s Rod Hodges’ border accordion on “Baby Moons” or Susan Cowsill’s harmonies on a few tracks; only “Mountain of Love” delivers the blazing swamp-rock you might expect. It’s a solid album of songwriting, even if Fohl could stand to show off more than he does.
