Music Reviews: The Rag N Bone Man - "4 Song Demo"

Growing up in Chicago it's hard not to have been fed, either by others or by your own hand, large amounts of blues music. It's part of what makes our city so great. The Chicago blues history is layered with so many talented artists who changed the game for so many bands to come. Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Willie Dixon, Jimmy Reed, Do Diddley, Koko Taylor, Freddie King, Otis Rush, Little Walter, Elmore James...the list goes on for days! It was the Chicago blues that crept into the U.K. in the late 50's/early 60's that started what we now know as the British Invasion! Bands like the Rolling Stones, Yardbirds, John Mayall, Humble Pie and early Peter Green/Jeremy Spencer era Fleetwood Mac were knee deep in the blues. So it comes as no surprise that the U.K. is STILL churning out amazing blues artists. And their newest prodigy is a one man band named The Rag N Bone Man!

The Rag N Bone Man plays a wide variety of modern day blues music on his new 4 track demo that you can hear on his Bandcamp site. The demo kicks off with a tune called "Savage". It's an in your face blast of dirty blues that's one part Little Walter kick ass harp, one part Jack White with a distortion laced vocal treatment pieced together with a killer finger picking and slide guitar riff that just brings it all together. It gives you a slight taste of what the rest of the EP will be like.

"Junkie In The Phone Box" has more of a clean sound, but still has enough dirt to make it worthy of the Mississippi Delta meets Chicago sound of the early 60's. The songs main character is strung out and doesn't have a chance in the world and neither does the kids she brings into her drug infested world. Great tune about the life of a junkie on a one way ride with a hellhound on her trail. Brilliant!

The last track is by far the biggest surprise on the EP. "Sunnycidal" kicks off with a palm muted riff and lyrics about sleeping pills and desperation before kicking in, for a short time, with a great beat and sharp sound. It's basically a topic and lyrical content that's not a far stretch from your typical blues tune. But what really stands out on this track is that The Rag N Bone Man has a really beautiful voice! It's sounds a little like Freddie Mercury on "Hammer Will Fall" without all the dramatic vocal layering that Queen was identified with. This EP has a little something for every blues fan. It's dirty, meat and potatoes music that the blue collar hard working man can identify with. I can't wait to hear MORE from The Rag N Bone Man.

4 ½ / 5 stars