Maxazine NL heaven modern blues review of “Badder to the Bone”

Cool January modern blues review from the Netherlands and Maxazine magazine…

“Detroit-born Eliza Neals is a classically trained opera singer who – luckily for us – has turned to blues and rock. After her debut album in 1997, she has a growing fan base among both the public and her fellow musicians. The latter is evidenced by collaborations with artists such as Popa Chubby, Joe Louis Walker, Tony Joe White, Buddy Guy to name a few. In addition to being a singer, she is an excellent pianist, writes her own songs and produces her own records. Her tenth album has recently been released, containing nine self-written songs. She is supported by an excellent band with Lance Lopez (guitar), Peter Keys (B3), Jason Kott (bass), Michael Puwal (guitar, bass) and a handful of others. She immediately pulls off with a ‘United We Stand’ built on a Bo Diddley rhythm. The second song ‘Queen Of The Nile’ immediately slows down a bit. Eliza shows that she can handle both the raw and the somewhat quieter work. Her voice is full, has a good range and a raw edge. Her classical singing training will partly be due to the fact that she has complete control over her vocals and that it never comes across as screaming. Guitarist Lance Lopez also has a leading role in the latter song and he plays the stars of heaven here and in three other songs. Michael Puwal shines in four other songs, including ‘Lockdown Love’. The only cover, Steve Winwood’s “Can’t Find My Way Home” gets a more than excellent, somewhat slow-looking edit, in which Lopez again learns. An excellent album and an absolute must.” By Eric Campfens  8 out of 10 Stars (E-H Records)