First you see his wide eyed pink and peach fuzzed young face and think “no way,’ he’s just kid,” then you hear his voice, a gravely baritone with a touch of southern drawl and then his guitar rips with a gritty blue tone and all one can do is shake your head in disbelief at Magnus Berg, a 18 year old wonder kid from Norway.
His debut album, Cut Me Loose, released in November 2014, is a fantastic collaboration of Berg and his seasoned band Bjørn Tore “Daffy” Larsen on harmonica, Håvard Sunde on drums and Roy Oscar Pettersen on bass, and producer Erik Boyd and mentor and songwriting partner Kirsten Thien. The seven originals and three classic covers showcase Berg’s talent and serve as jumping off point for his career.
The riff-based title track opens the album with a blend of teen angst and road warrior blues as Berg serves up his pent up energy. The tempo shifts to a southern two beat boogie for the jaunty “One Way To Please,” with Berg and Larsen doubling the hook melody before trading solos. Berg then delivers a convincing Texas shuffle on “Drifting,” and a Death letter styled blues “When You Leave.” Berg tackles the old chestnut “Kansas City Blues,” with spritely finger picking and notches up the tempo of Freddie King’s classic instrumental “San-Ho-Zay.” New York Chanteuse Kirsten Thien sweetly sings the country ballad “When It’s Gone,” while Berg responds with Dobro slide. The transformation of Willie Dixon’s bump and grinder “Hoochie Coochie Man,” into a Stonsey loose ramble is a refreshing new take, although all that sexual bravado is a bit much to swallow from a teen ager. “Saint Pete Boogie,” is a bit of a Hooker and Gibbons re-vamp but like the album as a whole is delivered with conviction.
Rick J Bowen
http://www.magnusbergmusic.com/
