‘Voodoo Blues’ is the fifth album by Irish blues guitarist and vocalist Grainne Duffy. At a stage when many other bands or artists would be struggling to remain creative, Duffy proves that she is still in the game and has lost none of her passion or fire for her music.
Opening with the sparse guitar riff of ‘Voodoo Blues’, the tone of the album is quickly established as a mixture of sultry blues-rock and soul. Songs such as ‘Blue Skies’ and ‘Shine it on Me’ are set to become crowd-pleasers with their catchy melodic singalong choruses. In fact, once live music is permitted again these songs are destined to become fan favorites.
Anyone who has seen Duffy perform live will know that as well as belting out a crowd-pleasing rocker, she also has the ability to delve deep into the blues to deliver a soulful tune. ‘Don’t You Cry For Me’ with its shimmering Hammond organ perfectly highlights Duffy’s natural affinity with the blues.
Brimming with sultry passion, ‘Mercy’ is another highlight in the collection. As is the radio-friendly ‘No Matter What I Do’, which given airplay, has the potential to provide Duffy with the cross-over hit single she deserves. Rounding out the album, ‘Hard Rain’ mixes a stomping blues beat with a mesmerising rhyme and gospel-influenced harmonies.
Full of memorable guitar riffs, short punchy songs, and high energy, ‘Voodoo Blues’ is a great listen that should be turned up to eleven and shared with your neighbours.