Blues in Britain accomplished ‘Thunder in the House” review

For a girl growing up on Acacia Street, on the outskirts of Detroit, Michigan, Eliza Neals’ music certainly packs a punch, coupling echoes of her Armenian heritage with the Motor City’s rich musical legacy. With a BA in Music from Wayne State University, she formed an early friendship with the great Motown songwriter Barrett Strong – both factors in her pursuing a career in blues and soul music. Thunder In The

House is Neals’ thirteenth studio album, its nine self- or co-written tracks embodying her hard-edged approach.

Opening track ‘Speedy Beady’ rides in on a simple bluesy riff, a humorous tale from the farmyard as a randy red rooster struts his stuff. It’s fun, light-hearted and gives Neals the chance to stretch out, a highly-effective layered vocal embellishing a mid-section, a technique repeated on ‘Love Will’, a heavier number.

‘Blues Bombshell’ features Detroit Mike Hepner on Hammond B3 and piano, and a poised slide solo from guitarist Michael Puwal. Throughout the album, Neals (who also co-produces with Puwal) employs a treated vocal sound, often double-tracked, and it really comes into its own on slower tracks like ‘All Alone’ and the brooding, atmospheric title track. She’s worked with the likes of Joe Louis Walker, Lance Lopez, Popa Chubby and Solomon Hicks, and her confident lead vocal takes centre-stage on mid-tempo numbers ‘Locked Up’ and ‘Wicked Heart’, but equally at home on the more upbeat ‘One Monkey (Don’t Stop no Show)’ and ‘Unoriginal Bitch’.

The cover sees Eliza Neals back on Acacia Street, perhaps an indication of her closing the circle, coming home to her roots. Thunder In The House is an accomplished, mature, well- crafted record, and testament to both Eliza Neals’s songwriting and her singing.’ by Leon Blanc