Paul Ford’s ‘The Moon’ percolates with bluesy grit and swamp rock
Reviewed by Alison Murphy
Paul Ford/The Moon
Shades of John Fogerty’s swamp rock and the Black Crowes’ bluesy grit percolate in Paul Ford’s retro bash, The Moon. Those who like their garage fix served with more melody will savor what Ford has in store here. The opening slice, “What They Want,” is harmonica-fueled classic rock with enough dirty riffs to wake up Keith Richards. On “The Recipe,” Ford enters Black Crowes territory with its sweltering Southern punch, further intensified by jazzy saxophones and a scorching solo.
The Moon is nothing more and nothing less than solid meat-and-potatoes AOR. And there’s not much as tasty when it’s done well. The title track employs fab British Invasion guitars that would give Oasis sleepless nights while “Beautiful” is highly engaging pop/rock. Ford doesn’t have the most distinct voice; however, the CD is pretty much filler-free, and the musicianship is pretty top-notch. The Beatlesque “If I Were Superman” is probably the standout here with its dreamy acoustic riffs and bittersweet lyrics about a man who longs for extraordinary abilities in a relationship but has to accept he’s simply an average joe. Take that, Batman.
