Guitarlos, Carlos – Hell Can Wait (Nomad)
Reviewed by Sadie O., 9/11/05
Streetcorner (16th and Mission, to be exact) and roadhouse blues, very rootsy and personal. Great for drinking and dancing; not anything unusual in the lyrics (mostly about love, good or bad) or the music, but it all sounds good. Times are listed – most songs are only between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 minutes, and most songs end several seconds shy of listed time.
No FCC detected. I like 9, 11, 14 best, but they’re all worth a play.
1. solo acoustic delta blues, definitely suggestive but not quite FCC
2. **nice shuffle, dance-worthy, great female backup chorus, horns
3. slower, nice bounce.
4. **David Hidalgo guests, some Latin tinge to the rhythm, slightly downtempo blues.
5. nice duet w/ Marcy Levy, who does backup vocals on most cuts.
6. slow blues, impassioned vocal duet, almost a secular gospel waltz.
7. **nice R&B (original meaning!) stroll.
8. slow blues, boozy but serious drinking song.
9. ***crazy roadhouse piano boogie shouter
10. **uptempo, shades of zydeco (Hidalgo on accordion)
11. ***slow electric blues shuffle, harmonica and zombies
12. fast southern folk propelled by drum and electric guitar, vocal duet
13. classic blues, harmonica and slide guitar
14. ***fast rocker, straight from 1954, great boogie piano, guitar, horns
15. **sweet cha cha cha, almost has an island feel to it, nice lyrics
16. slow blues, very low key and personal
17. uptempo, driving syncopated beat, crazed harmonica & electric guitar
18. **slow classic Chicago-style blues, full sound
19. 10 seconds mostly silence at start, slow, sad solo blues