antiMusic.com: Dave Plaehn

Dave Plaehn - Radio Sister

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Radio Sister is a bit of a departure for Dave Plaehn, an artist that usually records and performs contemporary blues. While Plaehn still plays harmonica on this effort, he also many times applies it to non-bluesy material, such as the tropical "Hello, Melinda" and the pop-rocker "Better Things To Do." There's even a nod to reggae sounds with "I Want Love."

Plaehn does get his share of blues licks in, however, with a wonderful, stripped down medley of Leadbelly songs, which includes "Looky, Looky Yonder," "Linin' Track" and "Black Betty." These recordings contrast starkly with the rest of the project. Whereas many of these other inclusions incorporate high-tech studio effects, Plaehn's take on Leadbelly favorites sounds a lot like the man himself would have performed them.

This album may reveal a different side to Dave Plaehn's musical personality, but it also affirms him as one multifaceted musician.