Reviews

Kasper Berry Rapkin & The Swamp Dogs
Album: Blues From The Land Of The Living
Label: juke Joint
Tracks: 11
Website: https://www.kbrblues.com/

I've been listening to the blues for the better part of five decades, long enough to have seen fashions come and go, long enough to have watched more than a few "next big things" fizzle out before they ever found their tone. So you'll forgive me for being a bit gobsmacked yes, genuinely gobsmacked that Kasper "Berry" Rapkin & The Swamp Dogs have delivered an album as assured, as downright classy, as Blues From The Land Of The Living. I don't say that lightly. There's something here that feels both steeped in tradition and startlingly fresh, as if the lad has somehow inhaled the whole lineage of British blues and exhaled it with a confidence that belies his age.

The Swamp Dogs themselves deserve full credit for helping shape this sound. You've got Ian Davidson on bass and surprisingly cello, not an instrument that features big in the collection, and Mia Casey, drums and washboard. Apparently, he goes out, solo, with the trio and a duo, that gives Mia time off.

But it's Kasper who astonishes. His voice has that cracked, smoky quality you usually only hear after a lifetime of late night gigs and too many miles on the motorway. His guitar playing is sharp, expressive and here's the thing, never derivative. You can hear the ghosts of the greats in his phrasing, but he's not copying anyone. He's conversing with them. And for someone so young, that's rare.

According to his website, he's got a collaboration going with The Curse of KK Hammond. She's got her own wonderfully swampy, gothic tinged take on the genre, and I, for one would love to hear some of that blended with Kaspar's sound.

And that brings me to the point that matters most to an old fan like me: innovation. British blues has been coasting for a while, stuck in a comfortable loop of reverence and repetition. Kasper shakes that up. He respects the roots, Lord knows you can hear that, but he's not afraid to twist them, stretch them, and let new colours bleed into the mix. There's freshness here, a spark I haven't heard in years.

So yes, I'm impressed. More than that, I'm hopeful. Blues From The Land Of The Living isn't just a strong debut it's a reminder that the future of the blues might just be in very capable, very imaginative young hands. And for an old timer like me, that's a damn good feeling.

Mike Stevens

Previous	Next
Nick Jonah Davis: Rose Delta Rising	Good Habits: Better For Now

Recent Reviews

Vices

Fatea Showcase Sessions

The Fatea Showcase Sessions are a series of downloads featuring acts that we've really enjoyed and think that more people should get the chance to hear.

Pirate is the current session and features 16 fantastic artists check out the website to find out more about them and download your copy

www.fatea-showcase-sessions.co.uk for all the artist information.

Visit The FATEA Archive!