3/5 stars
Seasick Steve has quite the life. Running away from home at age 13, he lived a rough and vagrant existence, working odd jobs and stowing away on freight trains to get around for the next 20 years.
After settling down somewhat – he reckons he’s lived in about 60 houses during his life – and becoming a session musician, Steve has been quite prolific since his belated debut album.
Sonic Soul Surfer is the 74-year-old’s sixth record since his debut release all the way back… in 2004. Sonic Soul Surfer is a bluesy traipse through a very Americana life, with Steve very much acting the raconteur old man, telling stories about gangs, rough life and that one time he caught a fish (I assume that’s what ‘Barracuda ’68’ is about, anyway).
Sonic Soul Surfer swans all over the blues space, with rocking songs like opener ‘Roy’s Gang’, ‘Summertime Boy’, ‘Sonic Soul Boogie’ and ‘Barracuda ’68’ switching in and out between tracks suitable for a Mexican standoff, like ‘Dog Gonna Play’, ‘Swamp Dog’ and ‘Your Name’.
Although there’s nothing terribly new to this blues record, it’s an engrossing journey back to a time and lifestyle that this artist lived.
