Confessions of a Fanboy

I talked briefly about this song yesterday. It’s the title track from the new album from the British bluesman and I’m writing about it today because this is the song that was running through my head when I woke up. I only listened to it once or twice yesterday but it seems to have made an impression on me. I’ve now listened to it two or three times today and it continues to grow on me.

There is something Clapton-esque about “Ear to the Ground” and it’s not just Schofield’s guitar. Oddly enough, Jonny Henderson’s organ evokes the vintage, ’70s Eric Clapton sound. Henderson also serves as the band’s bass player, playing the bass notes with his lefthand on the organ. On “Ear to the Ground,” it’s his right hand that paints the song with just the right feel. His playing isn’t dynamic or “chops” based. He finds the right notes — the right groove — and he stays there for the entire five minutes of the song. It’s not anything fancy, but it emits just the right vibe for Schofield’s vocal and guitar work.

I’ve been trying to think of a way to describe Schofield’s singing, and I’ve come up with about the goofiest comparison I can conjure. He reminds me of a younger, smoother Klaus Meine (Scorpions). Don’t let that scare you away (or excite you, if you happen to be a hardcore Scorps fan). Schofield and Meine are not mirror images of one another, but there is a similiar quality to the two voices.

Despite a running time of nearly six minutes, “Ear to the Ground” is not an explosion of shredded notes. There are instances on the album where he indulges and stretches out the proceedings with extended guitar jams, but this is not one of them. This is a song with some nice playing, not some incredible playing posing as a song. That is an impressive trick for any would-be young, hotshot guitarist. He takes the “Slowhand” approach to his lead on this song. He doesn’t shred and doesn’t burn, instead unleashing a stinging, melodic lead as the song fades.

Blues purists — if there are still any out there — may not find this to their liking as the song doesn’t creak with the glorious sounds of Chicago circa 1953. He melds jazz and rock with his blues and makes the combination work on “Ear to the Ground.”

Unfortunately, today’s Listening Room song isn’t available at iTunes (yet). In the meantime, you can hear a bit of “Ear to the Ground” at his web site.

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