Blues
Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite. “No Mercy in This Land.” Anti-Records.
With a Grammy for best blues album in their pocket for 2014’s “Get Up!” Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite put themselves in contention again with “No Mercy in This Land.”
The credit sheet gives the impression of a lopsided May-September collaboration. Harper wrote or co-wrote the 10 tracks, sings and plays guitar (slide, acoustic, electric) on all of them and co-produced the record. All Musselwhite does is play the harmonica and intone some emotional verses on the title track. Just like all Shakespeare did was write plays and poems.
There are sharp observations and knowledge of the world in Harper’s songs – “Everybody says I love you/But not everybody lives I love you” and “You may have learned to hustle/But you never learned to dance” – and they’re a great fit with the duo’s magnetic blues repertoire, blended with gospel, soul and rhythm & blues.
“The Bottle Wins Again” rages, “Bad Habits” shakes, “Moving On” struts and “Found the One” sounds ripe for a cover by Harper’s other veteran collaborators, the Blind Boys of Alabama.
Musselwhite’s tones range from Little Walter-like overdriven vamps to a caressing contribution reminiscent of Larry Adler on the excellent album-ending ballad “Nothing at All.”
There’s no audible generation gap on “No Mercy in This Land,” just a pair of kindred souls who know how to make great music.
– By Pablo Gorondi, The Associated Press
Electronica
Diplo. “California.” Mad Decent.
Even Diplo can’t party all the time. The former Philadelphia DJ who went from hosting Hollertronix parties in North Philly to a globe-trotting, hit-making career producing Justin Bieber and Beyonce also has a sensitive, thoughtful side, it seems.
The ruminative vibe of this six-song EP, which features contributions from Lil Yachty, MO, and Santigold, among others, will come as a surprise to those who know the artist born Wesley Pentz primarily through his often delirious productions with dancehall DJ crew Major Lazer and team-up with Skrillex as Jack U.
But way back in 2004, Diplo released “Florida,” an autobiographical mood piece of an album that contemplated his pre-Philly youth growing up in Mississippi and the titular Sunshine State. “California” is the grown-up successor to that album, a reflective effort that takes the time to “Look Back” on a hazy collaboration with DRAM and gets serious on “Suicidal” with Auto-Tuned Chicago emcee DesiignerCQ.
“California” is effective in part because it employs the element of surprise, but more impressive, it succeeds on the strength of its songwriting.
– By Dan Deluca, The Philadelphia Inquirer
