SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: STEVE MARRINER – HEAR MY HEART

STEVE MARRINER
HEAR MY HEART
CORDOVA BAY RECORDS

Veteran blues musician and producer Steve Marriner proves that Canadian blues is alive and well, with the release of his new album, Hear My Heart. Well-known as a founding member of the JUNO Award-winning blues-rock band Monkey
Junk, Marriner is also a multiple Maple Blues Award recipient. As he is in demand as a producer and collaborator with a variety of artists, Marriner’s release of Hear My Heart is his first solo offering since 2021’s Hope Dies Last.

When working within a genre as deep and traditional as the blues, one challenge for artists can be how to stay true to the art form, while at the same time presenting the work with energy and integrity. On Hear My Heart, Marriner does just that. The songs are delivered with a dependable blues sound, where the performances inject new life, without abandoning the genre’s essence.

The album leads off strong with the declarative slow blues rocker “Workin’ On Somethin’”. Here, as elsewhere on the album, Marriner’s honest baritone shines. His relaxed vocals sit well in the mix, and the song’s dynamic rises nicely. The second song, “Got To Be An Answer” catches the ear with its gospel changes and Steve Cropper-inspired guitar figure, right off the top. This song has a strong chorus, and shows off brilliant work from the horn section and the lead guitar. Arguably, as high as the energy is here, one cannot help wanting it all to break out even more, in the instrumental tag.

For lovers of blues and roots-rock, there is plenty to enjoy on Hear My Heart, including the swamp blues of “Hellbound For Heaven”, with its artful and assertive guitar solo, and strong vocal and screaming harp break from Marriner. The Cajun two-step of “Straight Line”, featuring honky-tonk piano and fluid country blues guitar is another bright spot.

Arranging running order on an album is a daunting task and an art unto itself, but it seems that there are a few gems that appear late on Hear My Heart that deserve more prominence. Namely, the songs “Little Bird” and “No More Nashville” add sonic variety to this collection. “Little Bird”, which features an earthy vocal and infectious guitar part seems radio-ready as a modern country hit. A quiet and pensive country ballad of regret, “No More Nashville” hits hard with its broken-hearted dreaminess. Interestingly, both songs evoke the work of John Hiatt, and they really serve to demonstrate Marriner’s impressive range as a songwriter.

We could go on about this recording, which is more than simply a blues album, and which clearly ticks a lot of boxes, stylistically speaking. We have not even touched on “I Can’t Dance” the Genesis cover which transitions into a rootsy blues romp (and gives the original a run for its money), or of the politically-themed Chicago blues and soul of “Through The Night”. The best thing is for you to go and get this music. Hear My Heart does not disappoint.

SPILL FEATURE: I’M WORKING ON SOMETHING – A CONVERSATION WITH STEVE MARRINER

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