Anyone who has seen Malcolm Holcombe play live will know what a force of nature he is. A quiet, unassuming figure in the crowd that immediately sets the stage on fire with his presence, playing, and ability to balance a chair at 90 degrees plus without falling off... most of the time. Capturing that on record would be akin to capturing lightning in a bottle, but ‘Tricks Of The Trade’ comes close.
Holcombe is an exceptional songwriter. The thirteen originals on ‘Tricks Of The Trade’ find him at the top of his game. Recorded with a full band, the music is given a powerful punch that lifts Holcombe’s playing and ragged vocals to new levels.
Impossible to pigeon-hole, the music ranges from the classic country sound of ‘Misery Loves Company’ to the brooding folk-tinged rocker ‘Windows Of Amsterdam’. Holcombe’s ability to transport the listener to vivid landscapes is comparable to the works of Steinbeck.
Be it exploring the plight of the immigrant on ‘Your Kin’ or the hardship of poverty in ‘On Tennessee Land’, the songwriting is incredibly detailed and empathetic of the characters and situations. Situations that, while set in fictional mid-west landscapes, are every bit as relevant in the world today.
Never afraid to challenge the hypocrisy of the rich, on songs such as ‘Money Train’, ‘Crazy Man Blues’ and ‘Good Intentions’, Holcombe lets rip at the unfair social divide created within society, unjustly favouring the rich while keeping the blue-collar worker down.
A musical colleague once said to me that he couldn’t understand why Seasick Steve’s career had taken off when Malcolm Holcombe was clearly the real deal. Years later, Steve came clean about the made-up, romanticised persona that made him successful. Holcombe, on the other hand, has no need to make up a showbiz persona. His strength lies in his authenticity and that is why his appeal will endure long over others.
Malcolm Holcombe’s music is grounded in realism that’s hewn out of the dirt on the land he sings about, and with ‘Tricks Of The Trade’ his reputation as a first-class singer-songwriter and player keeps on growing.