CD Review – Hadden Sayers “Rolling Soul”
Capitalizing on the momentum of his BMA nominated album Hard Dollar, Texas blues troubadour Hadden Sayers keeps the spirit moving with his new release Rolling Soul. The twelve song collection forges into the deeper waters of the heart and soul with confidence and conviction earned by time on the road. The tunes are less hooked fill than his last offering but have a masterful approach to song craft reminiscent of John Hiatt and James Taylor, pushing Sayers toward becoming the blues fan’s singer songwriter. The lament “Something Wrong in the World Tonight,” has a touch of Philly soul with its sweet organ undertones and rolling groove. The bouncing “Want What You Had,” encourages us to pull ourselves up by our own boots straps and get moving. Sayers then gets as lowdown and blue as you can get on the spacious “Alone With The Blues,” declaring “when you aint got nothing, you got nothing to lose,” Ruthie Foster reprises her role as Sayers foil on funky Staples Singers styled reveler “Lay Down Your Worries.” Just to remind us of his Texas roots Sayers and Co. deliver the double shuffle proudly on “Crazy Enough,” go honky tonkin’ on “Unlucky,” and then burn it up on the swinging “Tipin’ In.” Each track not only features Sayers fine guitar playing and expressive vocals, but the spot on performances from his band , Mark Frye on bass, drummer Tony McClung and Dave DeWitt on keys, all captured in pure natural tones. The album jacket includes liner notes from Sayers who offers up insightful anecdotes for each song, which give you a glimpse into the writer’s world and lead you to believe there is a bit more going here that your average blues progression. Rolling Soul will no doubt keep Hadden Sayers career moving forward.
haddensayers.com
Rick J Bowen