Maurice Hope – May 22, 2016 at 08:33PM
Tags:_AMERICANA
Armagh, Northern Ireland singer-songwriter Tony Villiers and his band The Villains combine American Blues, roots and folk in outstanding fashion; his vocals are pure, rich and stories are well written in the style of another time and good as. Back to acoustic blues golden years, long before he was born with some folk thrown in there too as he draws on the likes of Woody Guthrie for the entertaining “Big Old Dancin’ Bear Blues” (fiddle, bass, lead guitar etc).
Well presented with nice artwork too the album pops up and grabs hold of you. Recorded in Longford, Villiers has a particularly strong set of players as Paul Meehan (guitar, mandolin, banjo), Kevin Mahoney (bass guitar), Aidan McGillion (percussion), Paul Gurney (piano, organ, guitar, accordion), Danny Sheerin (backing vocals), Tony Fitzgibbon (violin) and Tomas Skelly (tambourine) on “Swingin’ Into The Sunshine” work up a terrific sound. The songs are all either first takes or at the most second or third. The latter is a neat little number warmed in a breezy melody and lyrics of a world weary tone, but not to the degree the song looses its playing feel. Getting back into the blues groove “Lucky Rabbit Foot” speaks of asking his woman to get his pistol as he introduces a clever play on words with blues legend Howlin’ Wolf deeper down into the barrel you have “Last Night” as Villiers features a song like something Bob Dylan might have done. It works good too, and with choppy electric guitar and hints of Tony Joe White present that gives it body the listener can’t help but embrace the song.
Villiers’ songs have won him accolades across the water as well over here. With this ace set of players his music gives fine insights into a great many aspects of life and music, and it does so in a fashion as fresh an ocean breeze coming off the Atlantic (and maybe the Pacific too). For with harmonica blasting and a neat chugging rhythm “Ramblin’ Man” speaks of Guthrie, Leadbelly and how he drinks his wine from a broken cup he’s the business all-right! He closes with a folksy (1960s) “On the Run” that has him take another trip as he takes the listener across the border as he speaks of though dead he’ll return to drink bootleg whiskey and ride wild horses, and there is more wonderful music from a man who not only pays tribute to tradition but lifts the bar.
Maurice Hope
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