“With Mermaids, [Erin Harpe] has again delivered a truly wonderful release covering most of the renowned, late Hurt’s greatest… the selected material is perfect and matched beautifully by Harpe’s distinctive, clear and clean picking and vocals supported by Countryman’s cool bass work… an excellent addition to the traditional acoustic blues canon.”
Full review:
Given the album title, there’s little surprise to find it’s subtitled as a tribute to Mississippi John Hurt, one of the absolute giants of the acoustic country-blues world.
In truth, I’m a huge fan of this lady – and her partner – having been following her music for many years.
Harpe has a history of picking and immersion in old-school acoustic blues that stretches back for most of her life. As a recording artist, she has picked a path that can at times appear packed with contenders while always offering her own take on it all. With Mermaids, she has again delivered a truly wonderful release covering most of the renowned, late Hurt’s greatest.
Tracks include Candyman, the opener, Mermaids Flirt with Me, Richland Woman Blues, Casey Jones – a lesser-known track – and Frankie. Overall, the selected material is perfect and matched beautifully by Harpe’s distinctive, clear and clean picking and vocals supported by Countryman’s cool bass work. Currently touring the UK this duo is a must-see act whenever possible and this album is an excellent addition to the traditional acoustic blues canon.
(Written by Iain Patience.)