FANZEYEVIEW
Shannon Curfman - What You're Getting Into
Guitarist and singer/songwriter Shannon Curfman burst upon the blues and roots rock scene in 1999 with her debut, Loud Guitars, Big Suspicions. Her exceptionally well-produced, well-sequenced debut album won her rave reviews all over the U.S. and Canada, and garnered huge amounts of publicity, because she was only 14 at the time.
After going back to college, her second cd 'Fast Lane Addiction was released and to my ears was an instant hit. Great originals including the excellant title track , and a sprinkling of well chosen covers.
Now in 2010 , Shannon releases her 3rd cd 'What You're Getting Into'. and this takes it up a further notch, well crafted original songs with some well chosen and daunting covers.
The cd is full of catchy chorus hooks and great guitar blues/rock riffs. I would suggest that this is more rock than blues this time around. From the opening blast of the title track, the songs rarely drop a pace. A fair sprinkling of slide guitar playing particularly on 'Heaven Is In Your Mind' , 'Curious' and the title track. When the pace does drop , the quality of the music is at the same level like on the track 'All I Have' that has a beautiful gentle groove to it.
We have the covers as well and they don't come more daunting than Fleetwood Mac's 'Oh Well', Claptons 'The Core' and Queens 'Dragon Attack'.
'Oh Well' conjours up an image of Shannon standing on her podium preaching out who she is, taking the lyrics personal and making a statement. 'The Core' is a duet with Joe Bonamassa and sees them sharing vocals and guitar duties on a very decent version of this song. 'Dragon Attack' to me sounds like a great live opportunity for band intros and solos in the set, heavier and meatier than the Queen original but still retaining the funk groove the song was based on.
Lyrically Shannon has dug deep and matured, the lines from track 2 'Free Your Mind' are what most people would consider great blues/country lyrics. 'I was born in the back seat,In Mississippi on a dark street,Mama said those were hard times, But I heard it through the grapevine'. A lot of introspective lyrics like Sheryl Crow as well.
I haven't stopped playing this cd since I received a signed copy 3 weeks ago, a big step forward for Shannon and her band and hopefully she will make it to UK & Europe for us to hear her belt these tunes out
After going back to college, her second cd 'Fast Lane Addiction was released and to my ears was an instant hit. Great originals including the excellant title track , and a sprinkling of well chosen covers.
Now in 2010 , Shannon releases her 3rd cd 'What You're Getting Into'. and this takes it up a further notch, well crafted original songs with some well chosen and daunting covers.
The cd is full of catchy chorus hooks and great guitar blues/rock riffs. I would suggest that this is more rock than blues this time around. From the opening blast of the title track, the songs rarely drop a pace. A fair sprinkling of slide guitar playing particularly on 'Heaven Is In Your Mind' , 'Curious' and the title track. When the pace does drop , the quality of the music is at the same level like on the track 'All I Have' that has a beautiful gentle groove to it.
We have the covers as well and they don't come more daunting than Fleetwood Mac's 'Oh Well', Claptons 'The Core' and Queens 'Dragon Attack'.
'Oh Well' conjours up an image of Shannon standing on her podium preaching out who she is, taking the lyrics personal and making a statement. 'The Core' is a duet with Joe Bonamassa and sees them sharing vocals and guitar duties on a very decent version of this song. 'Dragon Attack' to me sounds like a great live opportunity for band intros and solos in the set, heavier and meatier than the Queen original but still retaining the funk groove the song was based on.
Lyrically Shannon has dug deep and matured, the lines from track 2 'Free Your Mind' are what most people would consider great blues/country lyrics. 'I was born in the back seat,In Mississippi on a dark street,Mama said those were hard times, But I heard it through the grapevine'. A lot of introspective lyrics like Sheryl Crow as well.
I haven't stopped playing this cd since I received a signed copy 3 weeks ago, a big step forward for Shannon and her band and hopefully she will make it to UK & Europe for us to hear her belt these tunes out
