Album review: DADDY LONG LEGS – Lowdown Ways

Yep Roc Records [Release date 10.05.19]

Lowdown Ways is the third studio album from New York’s Daddy Long Legs – a rambunctious blues trio spewing their contemporary take on speed-infused blues as garagey as topless calendars and oily rags. Featuring a dozen cuts of rough-and-tumble, rabble-rousing blues, there is plenty of harmonica-fellatio, cowboy-boot-heel-on-a-hardwood-floor backbeats and almost cowpunk-ish attitude.

These lads look, sound and probably smell every inch like an angst-ridden Dr. Feelgood meeting Mike Ness as he was contemplating forming Social Distortion. Stomp and holler kicks it all off with a stonking “Theme From Daddy Long Legs” intro – buckets upturned and a tasty spaghetti western-tinged overtone. Saddle up, this is going to be a ride…..

Doused in juke-joint spirit, Daddy Long Legs give it plenty of fuzz and zoot-suited welly on “Pink Lemonade” and “Mornin’ Noon and Night” sees the band in their groove complete with snarly vocals and biting blues sentiment. “Glad Rag Boogie” sounds a bit like Nine Below Zero if you prodded them with the angry stick and spat in their beer. Suck it and see on “Bad Neighbourhood” – probably the most typical Daddy Long Legs work-out on this album with growling, preacher man vocals…aggressive blues indeed – pure Johnny Cash on Viagra.

“Winner’s Circle” is a cleaner-sounding twelve bar blast reminiscent of Dave Edmunds in his Rockpile days while “Back Door Fool” is as close as they get to a campfire ballad – good tune. Some cool Scotty Moore-style playing is in heavy evidence on the Cajun-influenced “Celaphine” which chugs along like a southbound steam train.

Untamed and stripped way back, this frenetic-sounding bunch have produced a solid and really feral album which undoubtedly has its roots in the blues but is unchained and unleashed – drawing in smidgens of gospel and rockabilly along the way.

Lock up anything female – hell, even your valuables – as Daddy Long Legs rip their way through the UK in May – catch them if you dare. ****

Review Mark “Mad Dog” Shaw

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)