Malaya Blue

Blue Credentials

Blue Heart

Unfortunately, the songs on Blue Credentials are the swan songs for the late noted blues songwriter Dennis Walker (Robert Cray, B.B. King, Bettye LaVette) unless someone unearths undiscovered material. Award-winning U.K. vocalist Malaya Blue follows up her 2020 critically acclaimed collaboration with Walker, Still, making this her fourth release and first for Blue Heart Records. This time out, we have more guitar drive focus and by all measures a more elite backing band. Cray mainstay, bassist Richard Cousins returns with writing contributions, aside from Walker’s seven tracks, from Joey Delgado, Hank Linderman, Brett Lucas and Blue. In support we have the return of guitarist Brett Lucas (Bettye LaVette, Thornetta Davis, Jeremy Spencer), keyboardist John McCullough (Sinead O’Connor, Van Morrison), and drummer Sam Kelly (Gary Moore, Chaka Khan, Robert Plant). Chris Land is aboard on tenor and baritone saxophone.

While the previous album mixed neo-soul and R&B with blues, this, as the title suggests is more blues focused with all tracks recorded live in the studio with no overdubs.  Walker penned the first four in collaboration with the aforementioned writers. “Your Act Has Worn Thin” has Blue singing defiantly. She’s had enough, accented by Lucas’ stinging guitar solo. “Wrong Kinda Love” continues in a stomping blues-rock mode with McCullough’s Hammond organ supplying the funk and Blue wailing, especially at the song’s climax.  The mid-tempo shuffle “Oh, What a Fool” glides along, imbued by Land’s tenor. Blue is a little more comfortable in this zone rather than the gritty ones, even more so in the ballad mode which brings out more nuance and sensual qualities as in “I Can’t Find No Love.”

Here’s what co-producer Steve Yourglich says about Walker in the liners – “It is a great relief to us that we had finished recording this album in just three weeks before Dennis passed and that he got to hear the early rough mixes and give his seal of approval on what he heard. This was especially true for “Howlin’ Mercy” the track that was meant to be the title track of {John} Campbell’s second release for Elektra before the label got cold feet over the dark content.”  It’s a song about the long-lasting trauma of abuse that for most is difficult to hear, to sing, and to even think about. Blue puts her all into it, knowing that Walker waited 30 years to hear it on record. Just these two lines give you a sense of the tune’s haunting quality, “How could we hide from my father/And his cold, cruel hands.” Fittingly, the accompaniment is spare, mostly the dark chords of McCullough’s piano and organ. Blue cries out “Howlin’ mercy” repeatedly at the close, making this undoubtedly the album’s most indelible track.

Blue has five originals. “The Time We Had” is rather pop-infused ballad, reminiscent of the material on Still. She ratchets up the funk for “Curious,” her voice moving from the plaintive to powerful wailing on the choruses.  Land’s bari sax is a nice touch for the undercurrent. Lucas introduces “Bring Me Your Sin” with a slashing slide guitar as Blue gets downright emphatic of wanting that bad man even if he harbingers bad things. There’s hard-edged rock in this one as well as in the angry, pleading organ driven “Set Me Free.” The closer, “Messin’ Around” is the opposite, Blue full of the unbridled glee of a child, or more appropriately, a woman ready for a night of you name it. Lucas adds tasty guitar.

Two other Walker tracks co-written with Blue and Lucas appear in the second half of the album. The wistful, punchy “I’m Having Dreams Again” has Blue soaring above Land’s sax and McCullough’s organ while “Good Intentions, Bad Results” takes a similar tact as “Wrong Kinda Love.” In fact, if there’s a quibble, there is a bit of “sameness” to some of these tracks. Yet, compared to Still, Blue’s impassioned vocals reflect her intent on earning those very “credentials” in the title.

Malaya Blue continues to display immense vocal talent and growth as a songwriter. The collaboration with Walker is solid, and now sadly complete. It will be interesting to see what path she takes next.

• Jim Hynes

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