Come On Blue
Tomi Lunsford
Seedbank
Three stars
Come On Blue includes wah-wah guitar, pedal steel and a saw – and a singer, Tomi Lunsford, who mimics them all. Her voice can also sound like a trombone, trumpet or sax, Janis Joplin, Elvis Presley or a police siren.
She is an exciting singer who leaves listeners wondering what the next verse will bring. It helps that Lunsford has such a powerful, flexible vocal instrument.
She boldly attacks country blues with scoops and slides, hints at a yodel and pingpongs between notes. Singing such words as “howl” and “shout” she makes them sound like what they mean.
On this, her second album, Lunsford rarely rests, kicking off the first couple of tracks, and punctuating others, with wordless but entertaining postscripts. Lunsford is a talented composer, too – she had a hand in writing 11 of the 12 songs.
Highlights include the love ballad You Can Leave Me Now, the gospel shuffle Jesus Was a Union Man, and the whimsical blues of Go to People.
Lunsford receives excellent support from her backing band, especially Daniel Cohen on guitar and James Haggerty on stand-up bass. An occasional buzz in the right channel reflects the relaxed approach to the recording sessions, but Lunsford’s voice should create an even bigger buzz.
artslife@thenational.ae
