2026 – Sugar Daddy Records
Release Date : June 1, 2026
By Phillip
Smith; May 30,
2026
Men Are Like Potato Chips,
Anni Piper’s seventh album and first in six years is sure to dazzle
the blues world once again with her fearless femininity and seductively eclectic
brand of blues. Based in Portland,
Oregon, Piper is originally from Australia where the fabulous
singer is known as the First Lady of the Blues. This nine-track record consists of eight hot original
tracks penned by Piper, along with one extraordinary cover. With Piper on lead vocals, and holding
down the low end on bass guitar, she is joined by her son Flynn Piper on
backing vocals, Ted Swanson on guitar/Hammond, Steve Karin on
Hammond Organ/piano, Chris Shuffleworth on tuba, John Dover on trumpet,
Jimi Bott on percussion, Brian Foxworth on drums, Joe Trump
on drums, and special guest Tim Langford (Too Slim and the
Taildraggers) on guitar.
The rush of a driving rhythm on the provocative “Naughty Nurse” is fueled with Swanson’s toneful, fiery guitar licks and topped with the big sound of a Hammond organ. This blues-rocker sweeps me off my feet. I dig Karin’s barrelhouse piano performance on title-track “Men Are Like Potato Chips” in which Piper cleverly compares her affinity for fellas to the snack food that goes straight for her thighs and straight to her hips. With Shuffleworth on tuba, this cool-as-hell, vintage-sounding burlesque track shines. Piper’s captivating voice pulls me right in to her confessional torch song “Cheetah”. The bursts of trumpet from Dover hits with precision as the notes sidle up to Swanson’s smoldering guitar delivery. I’m totally blindsided by “Cactus Girl”, with its Seventies progressive blues-rock instrumentation. It’s filled to capacity with delicious beats, and screaming guitars. With Too Slim on guitar and Flynn on backing vocals, Anni beautifully delivers an amazing cover of John Prine’s “Angel of Montgomery”. “Angel” is one of those songs I just absolutely adore, and I consider this track the pièce de resistance. It really is an incredible cover. Piper brings the listening experience to a close with the wonderfully Zappa-esque “F.I.G.J.A.M”. Funky, smart, and infectious, this one definitely puts a smile on my face.
Anni Piper’s Men Are Like Potato Chips is a tremendously fun record which takes the listener on a tour through a variety of blues neighborhoods. It’s one of those albums that begs to be heard.
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For more information about Anni Piper, visit her
website at https://www.annipiper.com
Album available on Bandcamp