BLUEVILLE BUTTERFLY BLUES Released: 24.06.2011

This CD just sounds great and will appeal to a lot of you out there who love the blues but are looking for something based on the old that sounds refreshingly new. As the name would suggest its Blues, but blues that simmers and sits back to allow the guitar and the vocals to move the songs forward. This is cool blues, seductive and laid back, it has soul & beauty & some wonderful guitars & vocals. All we can suggest is you try it, I'm sure you'll like what you hear...

Now there is one caveat, and that is that this may be a little light for some. The main man behind Blueville is Mario Percudani: the guitarist with Italian Melodic Sleazers HUNGRYHEART. Earlier this year Mario released a solo album that was a little on the light side of the tracks (Think Richard Marx, Foreigner at their softest). This album is quite revealing as it shows a deft touch that we saw on the solo album coupled with the musical dexterity of the Hungryheart releases. It also shows the lightness of the former and that may just put off a few of our heavier readers, but really it shouldn't.

It would be unfair to call this lounge blues but really that's a pretty apt description: beautiful music that doesn't batter you around the head. Yes that may sound like an anathema and I for one love nothing more than some real down and dirty blues, but if you just sit back and take it for what it is and let the music wash over you as long as none of your Black Label Society loving mates are over you just might get a lot out of it.

Opener 'When I Ring the Bell' is kind of the template for the album which though blues based has elements of jazz, gospel and even pop in the grooves. It's a decent enough song and enough to draw you in, but not the best cut on the album. What it does reveal is a great production job that really lifts the songs.

Favourites of ours over the first few listens would have to be the gentle blues of "Misery" and the Indianesque Blues of "Indian Road". Imagine a gentler Dire Sraits and you're art of the way there. Not an album to crank, and album to savour. If only there was slightly more fire and less smoulder...

By Mark Diggins