Eddie Boyd and The Phatapillars – A Lover And A Fool EP

A pleasant voice and a guitar that plays lightly just underneath start off this EP from Eddie Boyd and the Phatapillars.

It plays along a little, lulling the listener into a state of calm, then it builds. Swelling without straining, the voice and the music roll in harmonious waves.

This album begins sweet and smooth like a steadily warming sunbeam spilling through the kitchen window. Then it draws a sad smile across the face of the listener, with glazed over eyes and ears enveloped in the cozy sounds of the band.

The bitter boils and bubbles in with the sweet like a well-planned story, pulling gently (with increasing persistence) at the stringy tendons holding the smile up.

Towards the end a bluesy harmonica wakes the listener up, strong and insistent, knocking dreams from their heads, landing them in the middle of funk and blues and then dropping further into a heavier deeper musical place and then leaving them. (SP)

Star Rating: ****