Album Review: Keepin' the Horse Between Me and the Ground by Seasick Steve

New Year’s Eve will mark 10 years since Seasick Steve thrust a blues-powered rocket under Jools Holland’s cosy TV Hootenanny and became an instant sensation with his grizzled hobo persona and self-customised guitars which proceeded to lay waste to the world’s festivals and have produced seven idiosyncratic, invariably sizzling studio albums. Now in his mid-70s, Steve takes a more reflective approach on his latest, dispensing with drums and kicking back for some captivating reflections, electric blues uproar and well-chosen cover versions. Though the title track whips up his time-honoured serrated guitar boogie, there’s an intimate warmth to outings such as the quietly defiant Maybe I Might and riveting Hard Knocks which, after Steve audibly plugs in, feels like he’s plotted up in the same room as he recounts his life lessons up close.

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Humble hobo gets reflective on eighth album As fully formed legends go, Seasick Steve ticked all the boxes when he shot to stardom after his one-man invasion of Jools Holland’s New Year’s Eve Hootenanny 10 years ago. Festivals roared as punters embraced his boxcar tales, self-made guitars and the grizzled warmth he happily translated onto record. ADVERTISINGinRead invented by Teads Now in his mid-70s, Steve takes a more reflective approach on his eighth album, letting his full-bore blues roar take a back seat in favour of compelling reflections such as the tough but tender life lessons of Maybe I Might and Hard Knocks, along with well-chosen cover versions including Glen Campbell’s Gentle On My Mind, the Harry Nilsson hit Everybody’s Talkin’ and Arthur Lee’s desperate Signed DC.

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