Twisters, TheLong Hard Road2002Full Swing RecordsFSRCD002

Twisters, The - Long Hard Road - 2002 - Full Swing Records - FSRCD002

Written by John Taylor

There's a certain school of thought that says blues is perfect as is and shouldn't be messed with. And there are others who recognize the form's flexibility, who maintain a healthy respect for its building blocks but refuse to settle for static immobility, instead insisting on adding something to the genre.

Vancouver's Twisters clearly belong to the latter group. Long Hard Road is the band's second outing; once again they begin with a firm foundation of west-coast jump and swing, but that merely hints at the riches to be found herein. While the components are familiar - archtop guitar, doghouse bass, and lots of brushes on the skins – there's a level of complexity in the band's arrangements that belies the simplicity of the lineup.

Three of the four share lead vocals, with harmonicist Dave 'Hurricane' Hoerl and guitarist Brandon 'Yukon Slim' (yes, he was born there) Isaak by far the strongest. Drummer Sandy Smith simply isn't as convincing; as democratic as it may have been to share vocal duties with him, the disc would have been stronger had those chores been given to Brandon, whose appealing rasp lends a compelling authority to his tracks. Bassist James Taylor, who also contributes trumpet to beef up the horn section (courtesy of Steve Hilliam and Marc L'Esperance), restricts himself to background vocals.

The guest list is augmented by a cameo appearance by Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne, whose rollicking piano is a highlight on the rhumba-flavoured Beg, Borrow Or Steal. Material ranges from the relatively straightforward swing of the opener, Next To Me, to the brooding, atmospheric It's Raining Baby, with its thick, almost claustrophobic air of menace; there's irresistible jump in Deep Dish Baby, and a tiny perfect slice of harp heaven in the jazzy instrumental Zig Zag. Clocking in at just a few seconds over two minutes, it nonetheless gives Mr. Hoerl ample opportunity to demonstrate why he's a multiple award winner for his work on the lickin' stick; simply put, the man's a monster.

The boys wrap up it with the poignant, all-acoustic and stunningly effective I Had A Dream ("Everybody's got a dream/Oh how I want one too"). Indeed, one's hard put to list all the high points on the disc; the songcraft's of the highest order, production is impeccably atmospheric (bringing to mind the sound on Paul Reddick and The Sidemen's recent "Rattlebag"), and performances throughout are nothing short of breathtaking.

Harp fans will be blown away by some of the tricks Mr. Hoerl comes up with, and Brandon Isaak is unquestionably a superstar in the making, playing with tone, imagination, and taste throughout. Best of all, though, it's both smart and hip, a disc for the thinking blues fan. A minor quibble with Mr. Smith's vocals aside, this is an absolutely stellar recording, proving that blues needn't be altered beyond recognition to move forward into the 21st century. Highly recommended!

Copyright 2002. Review by John Taylor.

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