ALBUM REVIEW: Shemekia Copeland Speaks Out at Full Strength on ‘Blame It on Eve’

Shemekia Copeland has never had a problem making herself heard. She fully inhabits any venue she appears in, live or on record. Her instrument is as awe-inspiring as a pipe organ, her vocals delivered with such intensity that you can feel her power blowing your hair back and rattling your bones.

For her latest release, Blame It on Eve, Copeland has a stellar cast backing her. Luther Dickinson and Kevin Gordon on guitar, jazz great Charlie Hunter, dobro master Jerry Douglas, sacred steel virtuoso DaShawn Hickman, and Alejandro Escovedo as a guest vocalist all pitch in to help producer Will Kimbrough showcase Copeland doing what she does best.

On the title cut, Copeland does some serious Bible thumping, postulating that when something goes wrong, you can blame it on Eve — but maybe you should question why you would.

Shemekia Copeland (photo by Jim Summaria)

“Years ago back in paradise / Adam got his apple and some bad advice,” she proclaims. “Next thing you know / He was out on the street / Ever since then Eve’s been taking the heat / Just because of that first mistake / The boys all can’t get a break / Blame it on Eve.” Delivered with Copeland’s blast-furnace punch, the song gets in some serious licks on the Eve situation in today’s politics as well: “Hurricanes and tropical twistas / Always get named after some Sistah / But the worst windstorm is from DC / Stealing rights from you and me. While a man is tough a woman’s a bitch / Who needs a trial? Burn that witch / Blame it on Eve.”

Although most of the material was co-written by Kimbrough and Copeland’s long-time manager, John Hahne, Copeland puts the songs across like she owns them, binding body and soul into her earnest, heartfelt delivery.

Hickman lends his sacred steel guitar to “Tell the Devil,” helping propel Copeland’s gospel gallop down the aisle at breakneck speed and as she lets the congregation know “My soul is one thing I’m never gonna sell / Gave my soul to Jesus / The Devil can go to Hell.”

Copeland often presents some of her dad Johnny Clyde Copeland’s songs in her live sets. Sounding like she’s sitting on top of a piledriver, Copeland pounds out “Down on Bended Knee,” digging out a blues groove deep enough to wade in up to the waist. She goes back to church on “Heaven Help Us All,” Kimbrough supporting with greasy blues guitar licks on the song first recorded in 1970 by Stevie Wonder and later covered by Ray Charles and Bon Jovi.

Escovedo swaps blistering vocals with Copeland on “Is There Anybody Up There?”. “If they crucified poor Jesus,” Copeland postulates, “Think what they’ll do to me,” Escovedo counters.

As usual, Shemekia Copeland delivers the goods in a righteous manner.

Shemekia Copeland’s Blame It on Eve is out on Aug. 30 via Alligator Records.