Mike Brookfield brings originality, spark and vitality to bear on the blues-rock genre. He may subconsciously draw on familiar influences such as Alvin Lee (All My Heroes Are Junkies), Stevie Ray Vaughan (Bare Witness), Robert Cray (Golden Rule Girl) and even Mark Knopfler (No Candles Burn In The Rain), but his emotive vocals, elemental songcraft and warm tones are uniquely his own.
The title track’s plaintive vocal highlights Brookfield’s keen melodic sensibility and draws us into a surprisingly polished production that glues together a musically diverse but coherent album. The Killing Line is a sweeping wall of sound that contrasts sharply with the soulful ballad Blues Skies and Catfish Missile, an Americana duet with Grainne Brookfield. Peace For Joe features a subtle use of space, dynamics and tone on a heartfelt finish to a great album.
