Damon Fowler -- "Sounds Of Home"

Damon Fowler's new "Sounds Of Home" is a smorgasbord of great guitar work and fine singing and songwriting. Recorded at Tab Benoit's studio in Louisiana--and with Tab's typically understated production work--this is Damon's sixth cd and his third for for Blind Pig Records. It is also his best.  Fresh from a year touring with the Southern Blues-Rock Royal Southern Brotherhood, Damon has raised his game in every direction---and he has been pretty doggone good for several years already.

Nine of the songs here are Damon originals, sometimes with the help of writing partner Ed Wright and Tab; and there are two covers: Johnny Winter's "TV Mama" and Elvis Costello's "Alison." The album closes with the traditional "I Shall Not Be Moved."

Damon's voice is country-ish, clear with an agreeable roughness on some songs, and his writing shows plenty of pop-music smarts. But my favorite part of this set is Damon's guitar--he gives the entire fretboard a good workout with an endless supply of razor sharp hooks.

Favorites? The centerpiece of the cd is "Old Fools, Bar Stools, and Me," which sounds like it should have been written by John Hiatt or Willie Nelson. One of the best songs of the year, for sure."Thought I Had It All" is an excellent song, as is the title track. "Trouble" has a tasteful solo around lyrics about being addicted to a lover. "Spark" is an energetic rock song--back in the good old days of real radio, every song here would be on a playlist somewhere. This is a Top Ten cd of the year candidate.

You can buy this cd at http://www.blindpigrecords.com