A recent Guardian article discussed the “new blues”, citing several artists who are injecting the genre with fresh energy. Atlanta’s Curtis Harding was not among them, but certainly spends times on this debut album tackling new blues (especially the stomping garage-rocker Drive My Car) – and when he’s not doing that, he’s focusing on new soul instead. Castaway is as deep and yearning as classic Stax material, whereas Keep on Shining has the propulsive dancefloor momentum of vintage northern soul. Heaven’s On the Other Side, with its soaring strings and funky guitar riff, is reminiscent of another soulful Curtis. Genre purists will appreciate the craftsmanship, and Harding is an undeniably versatile vocal talent, as you’d expect from someone schooled firstly in gospel choirs and then as a backing singer for Cee Lo Green. But aside from the TV on the Radio-esque space rock of Drive, it’s hard to detect what he’s bringing fresh to the mix. Too often, Harding’s new blues and soul sound very much like the old versions.
