Gave You What You Wanted Album Review

Otis Redding, Leadbelly, Muddy Waters, just some of the late greats of 1950’s American Blues. Fast forward to New Zealand 2011, and The Flaming Mudcats could soon be amongst them. From the swing of opening track, ‘Big City Mama’ it’s clear that this Auckland quartet don’t just play the Blues; they mean it- just how it should be.

A rich blend of Blues, old fashioned Rock n Roll, R n B and a hint of Country, makes for an exciting fast paced debut album that will leave you smiling and your toes tapping till the last chords ring out. The general pace of the album is a finger snapping melee of strong vocals from Craig Bracken, with a cool, pulsing rhythm section made up of Doug Bygrave, Guitar, Sean McCarthy, Bass; and Ian Thomson, Drums. They keep a tight fast pace, but slow it right down for some softer tracks of ‘Cool It Down’ and ‘New Technology Blues’ the latter, a sexy jazzy number.

An impressive array of harmonica solos from Craig and a sly organ beat on ‘Gimme what you got’ will have you nodding your head, and swinging those hips. If you think good Blues is hard to find here in New Zealand, think again. The Flaming Mudcats are only just beginning.