Tim "Too Slim" Langford "Broken Halo"

Underworld Records, 2012

"Walking the Blues"

• After 26 years with The Traildraggers, Tim Langford has gone solo for this album as singer, songwriter and multi instrumentalist. He plays acoustic guitar, dobro, ukulele, harmonica and electric bass.

• There are 11 eclectic tracks, a fusion of Blues, Country and Americana, and range from the sombre and melancholic to boogie blues. He sings of love and death, passion and heartache, “play for pay” ladies and familial loss. His last four albums charted in the top 10 on Billboard Top Blues Album Charts and with his band, he has sold over 100,000 albums.

  The slick finish and authenticity that he has created in this solo album demonstrates both his experience and talent. His acoustic slide reveals his talent as a guitarist and the mellow vocals draw you in. There are echoes of Ry Cooder and touches of Muddy Waters.  One of the tracks, “La Llorona”, is based on the Hispanic legend of a woman who drowns her children to be with the man she loves, only to be rejected. She commits suicide and is refused entry to Heaven and so is sent back to Earth to search eternally for her lost children. And such is the depth of feeling of the lyrics of the album. The rhythms vary but the lyrics all weave a tale, so jump in your car, put on your shades and drive to the Deep South. Make sure that this is blaring out of the open windows.