Album Review: Hamilton Loomis – “Give It Back”
Blend together the Lenny Kravitz’ hybrid of classic rock and soul, the bluesy swagger of Stevie Ray Vaughn, and the sweltering funk of Prince: That is singer/songwriter Hamilton Loomis. The veteran road warrior has just released a new album, Give It Back, which continues to expand the vocabulary of the blues.
Classify him as a blues guitarist with an appetite for rock or a rock & roll maestro with a sweet tooth for the blues: Both will apply, thank you. Loomis lives in both worlds comfortably, crossing stylistic boundaries with effortless precision. There’s no reason to limit the man with a genre classification or tie him down with old-school rules. Loomis finds liberation in his axe; when he cuts loose, it has the transcendent roar of freedom. “I’m in a groove,” Loomis exclaims on the opening cut, “Stuck in a Rut.” Perhaps he is being ironic in the title because Loomis sounds nothing of the sort. Already establishing his trademark mélange of funk, blues, and rock, Loomis riffs with the bold self-confidence of his heroes.
There is variety in his sonic explorations as well. “Eternally” glides on a laidback groove as Loomis’ lyrics take on a spiritual, emotionally uplifting message. God and love are synonymous here so don’t be expecting anything preachy. One of the best tracks is “High,” wherein Loomis soars on a natural buzz with big, chunky guitars, echoing the glory days of SRV. It’s smokin’. The purists may scoff at the commercialized production (in other words, it’s extremely well-recorded) but many of them probably only listen to records that are five decades old anyway. Loomis is new blood, and this overflow will pump new life in aging veins. Loomis will be performing at Moe’s Alley tonight in Santa Cruz, California; no doubt he will tear the roof off.
Website: http://www.hamiltonloomis.com