Three big-city guys playing a 21st century version of country blues, Daddy Long Legs showed they knew how to kick up a down-and-dirty ruckus on great early albums like 2012's Evil Eye on You and 2014's Blood from a Stone. However, after moving from scrappy Norton Records to the larger and better-financed Yep Roc label, the band have been faced with the dilemma of how to make a more polished recording that will appeal to a larger audience without washing away the sweat and blood that made them memorable in the first place. ...
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Three big-city guys playing a 21st century version of country blues, Daddy Long Legs showed they knew how to kick up a down-and-dirty ruckus on great early albums like 2012's Evil Eye on You and 2014's Blood from a Stone. However, after moving from scrappy Norton Records to the larger and better-financed Yep Roc label, the band have been faced with the dilemma of how to make a more polished recording that will appeal to a larger audience without washing away the sweat and blood that made them memorable in the first place. Daddy Long Legs hadn't quite worked that out on their first Yep Roc LP, 2019's Lowdown Ways, and though they still haven't figured out all the details, 2023's Street Sermons does a noticeably better job at delivering the best of both worlds. Producer Oakley Munson has tightened up the band and buffed off a bit of the distortion that made Daddy Long Legs sound so gritty, while getting more energetic performances out of the group than they delivered on Lowdown Ways. Lead singer Brian Hurd (aka Daddy Long Legs) bellows with potent ferocity on these tracks, and his harmonica work wails hard, especially on the Stones-influenced "Been a Fool Once" and the rollicking "Rockin' My Boogie." Guitarist Murat Aktürk doesn't get his leads as far up in the mix as Hurd, but he sounds commanding when he gets the chance to step forward, especially when his slide work pushes his amp into the red, and drummer Josh Styles keeps the beat just lively enough to keep the performances interesting without losing focus on the backbeat that powers it all. The trio aim for a jug band vibe on "The Ding-Ding Man," and they wisely brought in Lovin' Spoonful legend John Sebastian to play guitar on the cut. On "Silver Satin" and "Nightmare," the credits say Wreckless Eric is one of the folks singing backup, though he's not readily audible in the mix, and having the good sense to get him involved certainly speaks well of the participants. Daddy Long Legs' best-recorded work has been the least fussed with, where the band just set up their gear and drew sweat in front of live mics. If Street Sermons is more elaborate than that, the sound still honors the interplay of the musicians and the taut power they generate together, and that's why it works. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
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