LONG TALL DEB
AND COLIN JOHN
DRAGONFLY
VIZZTONE–LTDCJ–01
ON THE WAY DOWN (INTRO)–ON THE WAY DOWN–DRAGONFLY–LUNGS–I’LL BE THE ONE–REMEMBER WHY (IT’S GOOD HE’S GONE)–PULL THE PIN–TROUBLE–HORIZONTAL LIGHTNING–LIGHTS THAT SHINE–DRAGONFLY, SLIGHT RETURN
The last time we heard from Long Tall Deb (Landolt) and Colin John, they were fresh off a road trip that included stops in Europe, India, and Nepal, and resulted in their 2015 EP, “Streets Of Mumbai.” They continue to draw from the sounds they encountered on that trip, along with the classic sounds of rock, blues, and even some surf-twang for their latest full-length album, “Dragonfly.” It contains ten originals and one cover, and features Deb and Colin on vocals, with Colin on all things with strings.
The set begins with the powerful “On The Way Down,” where Deb declares emphatically that “love can’t do me no harm.” Colin’s slide opens this cut, then gives way to a trance-like, Hill Country stomp. The title cut features Colin at his best, cleverly mixing tremolo, wah-wah, and surf guitar over Deb’s vocals, ending with a nod to The Man With No Name and the spaghetti westerns of our youth.
Deb shows off the soulful side of her vocals with an ode to that one person you can always count on, “I’ll Be The One,” with Colin on backing vocals.
We had two favorites, too. Colin busts out a baby sitar on Deb’s classic kiss-off song, embarking on a road trip to put a no-good lover far into her rear-view mirror with “Remember Why (It’s Good He’s Gone).” And, set over a tango-riffic arrangement, Deb gets downright torch-y in the lustful tale of “sideways glances” that lead to “Horizontal Lightning.”
The “Dragonfly” is an ancient symbol of transformation and change, and that sums up this album perfectly. A balance of blues and progressive sounds that embody life, love, loss, and redemption, it makes for a highly-entertaining listen! Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow, The Nashville Blues Society.
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