Texas-raised Ian Moore built his reputation as an ace blues guitar player, but his new album attests to his songwriting talent, showcasing the diverse styles of his original compositions.
“Airplane”, a ballad with a mysterious edge, features a pretty string quartet arrangement. The psychedelic rumble of “Closer” builds, then retreats like crashing waves on a beach. “Paris, Texas” travels into acoustic country blues territory, while “Ain’t Feeling No Pain” goes down to New Orleans for a drunken taste of Dixieland jazz.
A handful of covers exemplify Moore’s wide range of musical tastes. His version of the Beatles’ “Hey Bulldog” is a faithful rendering of the Fab Four’s heavy metal boogie, though Moore adds a few of his own distinctive guitar flourishes the song. “Border Palace” by fellow Texan Terry Allen is a down and dirty barroom romp, with Moore growling out his vocals. Jimmy Cliff’s always moving reggae classic “Many Rivers To Cross” displays Moore’s soulful singing, as does his rendition of Bob Dylan’s “You’re A Big Girl Now”, transformed into an R&B-style ballad and graced with a weeping guitar solo.
On his first independent release after parting ways with Capricorn, you can feel Moore rising to the challenge and pushing his music to new places. Green Grass is an eclectic and exciting portrait of an artist ready, willing and able to take on anything.