This is the third album from Liz Jones & Double Measures and very good it is too. 10 tracks of assorted Americana styles – some Roots, a bit of country, more Bluesey numbers, even some folk/rock. I must admit that I haven’t come across them before but on this showing, they are a band I’ll be watching out for in the future.
Liz Jones vocals are excellent, somewhere between the sassy Blues mamas and country divas, and she is flexible enough to handle the rockabilly of ‘Takin’ Your Time’ or the more emotive tones of ‘Broken Lens’. The band behind her are very capable too – Suzy Cargill on percussion & mandolin, Jamie Hamilton on keyboards & trombone, Gary Davidson on drums, Rod Kennard on bass and John Bruce (Blues ‘N’ Trouble) on electric guitar & resonator.
As for the music itself, all written by Jones or co-written between her and Bruce, the album opens with the witty ‘Johnny Knows The Roads’ – praise for John Bruce’s ability to get around the roads of Edinburgh -
That leads into the rockabilly of the aforementioned ‘Takin’ Your Time’ –
Other tracks show that the band and Jones vocals can handle subtle and emotional music as well. The album gives every member of the band a chance to show their talents, and it feels very much like a band playing together and for each other. I think they sound like a band who would be great live.
