Herula’s deep-seated devotion to the blues tradition isn't new; she firmly planted her stakes in the genre back in 2011 with her debut release, 'The Moon Is Rising: Songs of Robert Nighthawk' That hard work paid off massively in 2021 when her masterpiece, 'Bang at The Door', conquered the No. 1 spot on the acoustic blues album charts and earned her multiple awards
Donna Herula’s presence is all over ‘Cold Feet’. She handles all the lead vocals and anchors the whole project with some seriously exceptional guitar work. Her band is accomplished and understands the genre, with Tony Wittrock on acoustic and electric guitars, Mark Edelstein keeping things locked down on upright and electric bass, and the legendary Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith driving the train on drums.
Musically, ‘Cold Feet’ dives straight into the traditional storytelling, humour, and heartache that make the blues what it is. The opening instrumental, ‘On My Way Home’, shows off Herula’s subtle acoustic skills as she weaves her way through a Delta blues-inspired track.
Other standouts include the rocking blues anthem title track ‘Cold Feet’, a killer cover of the Skip James classic ‘Cypress Grove Blues’, and the empowering ‘Things Can Change’.
Across the entire record, Herula’s guitar playing is just sublime. She switches effortlessly from electric to acoustic, proving beyond a doubt that she’s one of the most accomplished slide players in the contemporary blues scene today. She really drives that point home by closing out the album with a blistering version of Elmore James’s ‘Dust My Broom’.
Packed with brilliant, authentic guitar work and great songwriting, ‘Cold Feet’ is a thoroughly enjoyable, foot-tapping classic.