Album Review: I Know (You Don’t Know Me)

If modern soulful electric blues is your thing, this is your album. Right from the first track, it’s different – but it’s still the blues.

The title track I Know (You Don’t Know Me) follows and sounds like a challenge to a faceless politician or leader of some sort. Being a songwriter, I always love to know what a song is about, or the situation which sparked it.

There You Go is the third song in and the first ballad, and it showcases a 100% blues vibe. Why? slows it down even more to a positively dirge speed. The main piano riff and gospel choir adding ‘oohs and aahs’ is fabulous, it’s got the quality of early Pink Floyd, especially in the lead guitar tone which is eased back on the distortion to give the song just a little valve warmth – absolutely gorgeous.

Silent Tears brings the tempo back up to medium blues rock. while Bad Blood is reminiscent of Every Breath You Take, particularly in the guitar’s intro ghosted note riff, before it morphs into a monster track.

Why Do You Care? is a four on the floor straight line blues track. Lyrically it’s about the growing issues of homelessness in New Zealand, sung from both a homeless person’s and an observer’s point of view. It’s beautifully written.

With It’s Okay To Cry the tempo drops, with the piano and gospel choir accompanying that beautiful warm clean guitar tone to perfection. This is a song about a relationship ending which is such a cliche topic, but Ernie J nails it well.

Nothing Changes wraps up this ten song album, and it was the first song which didn’t completely grab me. It has a reggae lilt in the rhythm and lyrically it’s about some changes in the author’s life. Oh, and that fabulous gospel choir returns as well. I love the way this song closes the album, with an ending that’s so quick, it made me think, “woah, what happened”?

I Know (You Don’t Know Me) is a brilliant album, especially if you’re partial to late 60’s/early 70’s blues. This album is really on point. Ernie J’s gravelly voice sounds cool and adds to the authentic blues feel of this release.