Paul Dougherty

Keep It In Your Pocket

(Bake It Black Records)

This is the chap that made the effective roots-bluesy album River Pearl, originally from Houston and growing up in Nashville in a musical family. Now based in Munich, Dougherty had put together this album, playing everything himself which is commendable but featuring a stack of blues standards, which is not.

Do we really need yet more versions of Spoonful, The Thrill Is Gone, Stormy Monday, You Shook Me, Born Under A Bad Sign, Rollin’ & Tumblin’ ? No we don’t, no matter how well they are played. It’s like a duff pub band setlist. We all have respect for these artists. There’s even two Robert Johnsons!

His voice has a fine sandpapered tone, it must be said. How Many More Years is given a leaden Elmore James style setting. Stormy Monday sounds worn out and dying. The legato guitar on Spoonful sounds neat. Sorry, amigo, PLEASE go back to releasing your own songs, I much prefer them.

Pete Sargeant

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Paul Dougherty's new album 'Keep It In Your Pocket' is out now on Bake It Black Records. For more information visit his official website here: http://bit.ly/2klt04W
Paul Dougherty