Chris Ford and the SuBourbon Blues Project’s “Whiskey Still”

The tempo of Chris Ford and the SuBourbon Blues Project’s “Whiskey Still” serves notice that this is a rough and ready blues rocker brooking no quarter. Anyone looking for something with softer strands is well advised to steer clear of this track. This single from the Nashville based performer’s second album Where Concrete Meets the Grass should find a wide audience thanks to an assortment of strengths.

URL: subourbonblues.com/

The first is its sound. “Whiskey Still” has a brash and in your face aural character without ever coming close, even for a second, to overwhelming listeners. The guitar, vocals, and drums are given prominence; the latter, in particular, has an attention-grabbing snap that punctuates every turn of the song. The guitar transitions back and forth from staccato rhythm and bursts of torrential lead playing.

It’s singing that sounds like the vocalist means it. There’s nothing especially polished about the way Ford presents the vocal, but you can hear some sophistication in the refrain’s variations and the surprising emotion he brings to bear. “Whiskey Still” doesn’t try remaking the songwriting wheel. It’s full of imagery any experienced music listener will recognize from the long history of blues and rock music as part of its core identity.

The Biblical influences don’t strike a false note. “Whiskey Still” is fiercely musical, but it’s stepped in hard living as well and there’s a sense of impending doom gnawing along the edges of the song. Some listeners out there will feel like times such as this demand music that doesn’t play around. There’s no doubt that Chris Ford wants to entertain listeners and concert goers and the single gits that bill, but “Whiskey Still” also comes across as a song full of near Old Testament wrath.

The SuBourbon Blues Project (Where Concrete Meets the Grass)

Listen to The SuBourbon Blues Project (Where Concrete Meets the Grass) on Spotify. Chris Ford · Album · 2021 · 8 songs.

It’s definitely a product of a song-first approach. There’s no long-winded instrumental passages but, instead, a sharp focus on making the classic elements of a song work at the highest level. There’s even an unexpected, perhaps, storytelling aspect driving this track that will catch the attention of many listeners. I’ve never heard Ford’s work until reviewing this single and I’m hoping there’s more material like this awaiting me. Where Concrete Meets the Grass is must-hear based on this single alone.

He makes the simple sound profound. There’s nothing inherently complicated about what he’s doing here, but he plays it with the intensity of a dying man’s statement. It lingers with you. The greatest strength of this song is its sincerity. I believe every single word coming out of Chris Ford’s mouth and feel like this song doesn’t so much come from him as it is ripped out of his heart. It’s wildly entertaining without sounding facile and lingers with you long after the final note fades. I hope it makes listeners remember that just because a certain kind of music has been around for many decades doesn’t mean it can’t pack fresh power and say something worthwhile. Chris Ford and the SuBourbon Blues Project are pouring every bit of themselves into this brawling gem.

Clay Burton

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