Medicine reviewed by Steve Jones

Medicine

Solomon King

JLM, Inc.

www.solomonking-music.com

10 tracks/28 minutes

Of the two new albums entitled "Medicine" on the market recently, this pales to insignificance behind the new issue by Tab Benoit.  The music and sound is raw, the songs are not impressive and the minimalistic mix of a guitar playing vocalist and drums just doesn't cut it.  Couple all that and less than a half hour of music makes this one an easy one to pass up.

Kings is pictured in SRV-like regalia on the CD cover.  Any similarities to the long deceased Mr. Vaughn end there.  King plays and sings in a very rough and edgy style, adding effects to make it even more distorted and edgy.  It does not work.  It just sounds forced and fake.

The opening song is the title cut and is perhaps the high point of this CD.  Slow and downbeat, the song is like a barbiturate laden ride on the periphery of the blues.  King's voice cracks and he tries to be earthy and bluesy; it almost works but I really did not enjoy this. It goes downhill song by song, with a muddy sound and bad effects.  The lowest point is the closing cover "Be My Baby":  It's a depressing ride and the only saving grace it that the song ends quickly and the CD is over after this.

I try to find something good to focus on for my reviews, but there is nothing here to grab hold of.  Maybe I missed the bus on this one, but it's edginess just sounds bad and the musicianship is not of the highest quality.  A lot of work needs to be done to get this act up to snuff.

Reviewed by Steve Jones