CD Review
Hamilton Loomis
Kickin' It
(Blind Pig (2003) 5084)
10 tracks, 46 minutes.
by Craig Ruskey
Review date: November 2003
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"Keeping the Blues Alive Award" Achievement for Blues on the Internet Presented by The Blues Foundation
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Hamilton Loomis isn't exactly a new name to the blues fringe, and with a somewhat fresh approach, he might be a good contender to bring more fans closer to the real thing. He's a pleasing vocalist, but his strengths are solidly in his songwriting and axe-slinging. He takes writer's credit for seven of the ten tracks on Kickin' It and proves from the outset that he has a few ideas bound to turn some heads. The title track is a jagged-edged rocker with plenty of guitar to please, and for No No No he takes on a soul groove sounding perhaps a few steps too close to Prince (or whatever his name is these days). Be Mine Anyway rides funk territory and it's a fine place for Loomis to hang his hat, but the acoustic guitar in Just Your Fool shows he can tackle traditional blues before he takes the gloves off for a knockdown blues-rocker with heroics to spare. The originality and pop-flavored nature of Get My Blues On might land him in the lineup of the recent "Blues Idol" pitch, but a youngster like Loomis could certainly get the numbers up. He offers some decent harp and slide guitar in 99 Miles but the over-production gets grating on Take A Number. The hip-hop harp groove of Who Dat? is interesting if nothing more, but it again shows he has a knack for writing catchy songs with a hearty blues flavor. He won't please the purists, but there's undoubtedly an audience for this sort of thing.
www.blindpigrecords.com
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