From her Southern Blues album, Death Roll Blues, The Curse of KK Hammond releases her Southern Gothic tale In The Dirty South. Following the success of her previous singles; The Ballad of Lampshade Ed and Death Roll Blues, In The Dirty South continues the momentum being built by this young guitarist’s blossoming career. Incorporating metaphor and colorful imagery of the south and the bayou, The Curse of KK Hammond delivers on this underrepresented and often overlooked sub-genre of blues music. The juxtaposition of the sweetness of her voice with the darker subject matter. The minor key the melody song was in, is contrasted by the vocals creating a pleasing, enticing tension that inspired curiosity to see where the theme of the song was building to. The vocal styles of The Curse of KK Hammond are almost chantlike, coupled with the beat pulling the listener into movement. The drawing aspect of the groove, even though quite repetitive, pulls audiences into The Dirty South and all its diabolical and dark characteristics. The haunted bayou’s reputation of perilous and sensuous allure thus becomes more enticing as The Curse of KK Hammond continues her colorful narrative.
With a professional and mature mix, In The Dirty South feels more like a major-label release than a small independent project. The expert way in which the slide guitar is accentuated through the frequency range is perfectly contrasted by the upper register vocals creating an almost unique instrument of its own. This method of performance is especially prevalent as the downbeat is always crafted with a new melodic form creating the tension which The Curse of KK Hammond so strives to achieve. In The Dirty South would be an amazing addition to any Blues, or Jazz commercial radio format. The clever hooks and the replayability of this track speak to the artistic commitment The Curse of KK Hammond brings to each release. I especially love this track, mostly due to the fact that we have been starved of great Southern Gothic Blues for so long now, and the creepy, impious nature of the overall feel of the song, and the rest of the Death Roll Blues album is so very enticing to eager ears like my own.
Reviewed by: Lee Callaghan |Â Evolution Music Press
