Philip Sayce – The Wolves Are Coming
A set that’s exuberant with generous doses of vocals out of the aggressive 70s menu — such as the Gurvitz/Curtis Brothers’ Gun (“Race With the Devil”), Foghat, Black Oak Arkansas & such. But Sayce has dynamics that he uses well though his vocals are not entirely distinctive they have the necessary octane for this material. There’s a hint at the warmth of James Dewar (Robin Trower’s early LPs) & a little funk steam in tunes like “Lady Love Divine,” that cook on a low flame.
The attraction though is more the guitar playing than the vocal since Sayce is a cross between the late Jeff Healey (who he toured with) & Robben Ford. The melodies have traces of what Montrose did, Larry Graham with Graham Central Station & a host of other 70s guitar-oriented conglomerations. The actual traditional blues injection is a little overwhelmed by the drive & sonics that tend to drown out the blues lines. “Babylon Is Burning,” has too much fat on the meat so to speak. But it’s still steak, nonetheless.
Produced by L.A. guitarist Philip Sayce (vocals/guitars/bass) — he’s not shy whipping out the old wah-wah bar on some of the 11-predatory tracks on The Wolves Are Coming – (Forty Below/Atomic Gemini/Drops Feb 24/40:00). With its perfectly displayed “Your Love” if it were sung with a little more seductive finesse ala Jimi Hendrix it would be closer to that winning genre.
No matter — the guitar work is glossy, slippery, always entertaining & well-executed. It’s just that Philip seems to be going more for the volume addict than using shards of elucidation as Jimi did. With “It’s Over Now,” “The Moon Is Full” & the lovely “Intuition,” all arrive in a distinctive bluesy recipe that’s superb. They have sufficient atmosphere & warmth maintained with a cool guitar identity in a somewhat old Frijid Pink tradition (“Sloony”).
Philip starts to gain momentum even more on “Blackbirds Fly Alone” where he adds lots of originality into his performance. Driving unsparingly with aggression & guitar notes machine gunning. The fills in many songs are admirable. Nothing sweet & dismissive. Sayce has his punchy wry varied styles perfected (“Backstabber”). He certainly sharpens his axe every day.
This is more of a guitar aficionado’s CD. It keeps the lead guitar tradition polished & interesting. By the coda, the real blues come with “This Is Hip.” A far muddier juke joint scented romp. I knew he could do it.
Highlights – “Oh! That Bitches Brew,” “Lady Love Divine,” “Your Love,” “It’s Over Now,” “Blackbirds Fly Alone,” “The Moon Is Full,” “Backstabber,” “Intuition” & “This Is Hip.”
Musicians – Michael Leasure & Aaron Sterling (drums/percussion), Maurice Lewak (drums), Fred Mandel (organ/piano/keyboards), Bernie Barlow (vocals), Joel Gottschalk (bass),
Color image courtesy of Philip’s website. CD @ Amazon & https://www.philipsayce.com/
