2014 – Bafe’s Factory
By Phillip Smith;
Sep 21, 2014
Hales’s Pleasure Railway, from the Finnish trio, Southpaw Steel ‘n’ Twang, is an interesting
roots music album with a heavy jam band appeal.
Ville “Lefty” Leppänen, guitarist for Micke Bjorklof &
BlueStrip, breaks out his lap and pedal steel guitars to join forces with
drummer Tero Mikkonen, bassist JP Mönkkönen , and special guest
organist/backing vocalist Jukka Haikonen for a stripped down, in-studio
recording of eleven original “twangfully” terrific songs, most of which happen
to be instrumentals.
Swampy
cowboy-western “Open Field” is thick with steel guitar. Taking a curious twist midway, Leppänen
mysteriously captures the essence of the Grateful Dead with a very-Jerry
Garcia inspired journey on lead guitar.
Afterward, the listener is dropped off into a funky little danceable track
called “Bayou” which has a fun and infectiously swampy Louisiana-flavored groove.
Perfectly fitted to be on anyone’s tiki party
playlist is “Secret Sunset”. This
Hawaiian themed track puts a smile on my face every time it’s heard.
Leppänen creates an aura of hipness
in the ultra-cool, “Bad Alley”, with haunting guitar riffs, like those of Jim
Heath of Reverend Horton Heat. I absolutely love this style of
playing. Slowing things down a bit is “Red”,
steeped in a tasty brew of jazz, and sweetened with the resin of Pink Floyd’s
very early years. “Dark C”, a monster of a song, rocks out like Primus
with a heavy bass line, industrial beats, and funky grooves.
I really
like the way Southpaw Steel ‘n’ Twang, surrounded in the spirit of
early country & western music, brings with it, the delightful art of the
jam. That, along with a few contemporary
influences, makes Hale’s Pleasure Railway
a vibrant enjoyable listen from start to finish.
