The latest Dave Arcari's CD has us at Bluesbunny Towers scrabbling for the chance to review it - and I was the lucky one. While there’s the old adage of ‘Never judge a CD by its cover’, the first thing to strike me is Dave's photo, which has him looking like an angry cross between Ministry and ZZ Top; this man is clearly not to be messed with. And it's not just his beard that would strike fear into small furry creatures. Wait until you hear his gravel toned voice…
The opener of “Devils Left Hand” pretty much sets out the stall for most of the album – one man, his dobro and cheating the Devil himself. From country blues (“Walkin’ Blues”) to the Bluegrass tinged lament of “See That My Grave is kept Clean”, from the gentle unadorned acoustic ballad of “Baby, Let Me Follow You Down” to the muscle house rocking blues of “Troubled Mind”; the tracks on this CD never let you down. Even when it’s just Dave and his guitar, the raw power of his performances can’t be ignored and, as if showing his prowess as a bluesman isn’t enough, Dave pulls off a one man and his dobro version of “Loch Lomond” which shouldn’t be missed. In another twist, the CD ends on ‘Dragonfly’, which sounds like Slayer attempting an acoustic set. With its harshly distorted dobro and angry stomping for percussion, I wonder if Dave has just invented a new genre: Thrashcore Blues (and if so, I want a cut for naming it)…
My only reservation regarding this CD is that a lot of the songs have appeared on previous Arcari records, all be it different recordings with various musicians. If punters didn't know better they could be mistaken in thinking that this is a compilation album, and this could put some buyers off.