OK, I'll just admit it. I am a sucker for slide guitar. To me, there aren't many better sounds in music. That being said, it didn't take me long to get hooked on Free To Fall. The first tune features some nice slide guitar and reminds me of Hot Tuna.That is not the only time that the band's sound is reminiscent of Hot Tuna. "Catch Me When I Wake Up" is a blues groove that features a walking doghouse bass line and more of the slide guitar. The vocals in this song remind me somewhat of Al Blake.
"Bluer than the Midnight Sky" features vocals by Melody Gardot. She is a truly gifted singer whose voice is smooth like Norah Jones. This is a tune that you might want to listen to more than once.
Beaucoup Blue is a band that alternates between a folky sound and some blues grooves that come from somewhere deep inside the musicians. It is easy to imagine this band sitting on a front porch somewhere playing for anyone who happens to pass by. That front porch sound is best represented in the band's version of "Hesitation Blues."
As you progress through the CD, you realize that it's not merely the melodies and vocals that are similar to what Hot Tuna has done for decades. The band isn't afraid to dip into some social commentary. In "Oh America," the singer tells us "There ain't nothin' that ain't for sale in the land of the free." It's pretty hard to argue with that.
This is a very solid effort that just breezes by. Before I knew it, the album was over. If you enjoy down-to-earth blues-based folk music, this is definitely an album you should add to your collection.