(3 / 5)
Unlucky for some; 13. Not for UK singer songwriter Pete Boddis. His new album “Spinning Wheels” offers up 13 very nice self-penned songs and a pleasing end result. Predominantly country in its overall feel.
Pete is a respected country, folk, blues and Americana artist from Stourbridge in the West Midlands, on the Midlands music scene since the rock n roll days of the early sixties. In the 1970s, Pete ran folk and country clubs, and worked as a solo artist playing his own material in local venues. His first recordings were picked up by local radio and led to sessions for Radio 2 and a TV appearance.
Pete went on to tour the UK, gigs in Holland and a three month residency at the Hiatt Hotel in Copenhagen. Through the 90s, Pete played with his country band Mr. P. Body’s Coal Train throughout the UK. He has produced four albums and he continues to play solo gigs, inculding shows featuring his impressive acoustic lap slide guitar skills. With a relaxed laid back style, Pete engages his audience and brings a warmth to his country blues style songs.
“Spinning Wheels” began life as a one day recording session in April 2016, on a day off from a string of gigs. Just Pete’s vocal and his 1968 acoustic guitar cutting 12 of the 13 songs, working non-stop up to midnight -and all but one track in one take. Then a two month stint of adding over-dubs of other instruments, with recording engineer Alfie Bernardi at the helm in his Sussex studio. Multi-instrumentalist Alfie also adding guitar, harmonica, pedal steel guitar, glockenspiel, melodica and reed organ, on top of his production role. There’s also washboard, tambourine, cello, violin, piano, bass, drums and backing vocals from the various session players called in by Alfie, musicians Pete had not worked with before. They add value to this project, for sure.
Pete has a mature sound, much more traditional than modern day country; luckily he’s not one of those UK singers who feels the need to add a fake American “yee hah” accent to his vocal delivery. He lets the songs do the work, and doesn’t overcook anything at all; using the art of leaving space. His vocal delivery classy and a soothing aspect to it. The material is a tight fit for his vocal instrument. If chilled out, old school country is your bag, give this one a spin (see what I did there?)
By Simon Redley
(1 / 5) ‘Dull Zone’
(2 / 5) ‘OK Zone’ (3 / 5) ‘Decent Zone’
(4 / 5) ‘Super Zone’
(5 / 5) ‘Awesome Zone’
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