Multi-genre musical styles and tales of heartbreak with a feelgood factor.
With their sixth album, ‘Feet First’, Newcastle-based Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra have packed in soul, doo-wop, rockabilly, blues and country into a collection of songs, many of whose titles point to some harrowing times. All written by Heron, they mostly deal with breakups and breakdowns, yet the overall feel is far from despondent, such is the lightness of touch in the lyrics and the musicality of the five-piece band.
Released as singles, the opening two tracks demonstrate the range of genres found on the album. ‘Good Lovin’ is as infectious as the Gary US Bonds 1961 hit ‘Quarter to Three’ and the later Springsteen-written ‘This Little Girl’. Highlighting newcomer Rob Powling, they are followed by the swing time ‘Sixth Month Sleeper’, its call and refrain vocals adding to the vintage feel.
‘Blood In The Water’ keeps things going in double time before ‘Three Button Suit’ takes us into Merle Haggard territory with a lachrymose tale of a pawned guitar and suit. ‘I Blinked And It Was Over’ features some tidy blues harmonica from guitar and mandolin player Tom Cronin, with Adam Richards and Paul Archibald throwing in a jazzy interlude on double bass and drums as the quintet demonstrate their skills.
Like a Texas two-step, ‘More Fool You Babe’ sees Heron in Jimmie Rodgers mode, while ‘Skeletons In My Closet’ deals with a dysfunctional loner through some clever lyrics –
“And with all this doom and gloom, yeah, the place feels like a tomb,
I got skeletons in my closet,
and an elephant in the room.”
Despite its title, ‘Broken Down and Broken Hearted’ has a light touch with some more terrific ensemble playing while ‘Loved You More In My Dreams’ captures the spirit of Hank Williams’ ‘There’s a Tear In My Beer’, Heron’s troubles banished with a little yodelling and some melodic clarinet from Rob Powling. ‘Hungry For Your Love’ and ‘Another Night In The Doghouse’ tell of rejection, the latter with a chuckle, while ‘Happy Hour’ has the delightfully paradoxical
“I always seem to cry when it’s Happy Hour again.”
Showing his vocal versatility, Heron slips into rock and roll mode with the Elvis-like delivery of ‘Every Day Is Misery’, before the closing title track is a semi-spoken and humorous tale that highlights the narrative skills in evidence throughout. Produced by Axel Praefcke, ‘Feet First’ was recorded in just two days at Lightning Recorders, Berlin and has an authentic straight-to-tape analogue quality. The excitement is palpable.
