Formed in late 2007, the five musicians that make up Hokie Joint have gradually become one of the major forces on the European blues scene, garnering rave reviews for the live shows along the way . . . however the music they make is far from the traditional guitar laden offerings of many blues bands, with an altogether more rootsy sound, which dips into touches of ΓÇÿStonesyΓÇÖ rock, folk, and with a definite Eastern European feel to some of the ten original band songs on ΓÇ£The Music Starts To PlayΓÇ¥, the bands second release on the Dutch label, Cool Buzz.

To use football terminology, they consist of a blend of youth and experience ΓÇô the main instrumental ΓÇÿfireworksΓÇÖ being provided by leading British harmonica player Giles King, and the simple, yet effective guitar work of Joel Fisk; the rhythm section being seasoned bass player Fergie Fulton and drummer Stephen Cutmore, with the vocalist JoJo Burgess coming on like a blend of ex-Heavy Metal Kids singer, the late Gary Holton, with a pinch of the late, great Alex Harvey, and the theatricals of ΓÇÿThe Artful DodgerΓÇÖ . . . a heady brew, but hopefully anyone who has seen Hokie Joint live will see where IΓÇÖm coming from on this one!

The opening title track, ΓÇ£The Music Starts To PlayΓÇ¥, has a polka feel to it, courtesy of Giles King superb harmonica and the driving guitar and rhythm section; the pace goes into overdrive on the rocking ΓÇ£Force Of HabitΓÇ¥, with a 70s Rolling Stones feel to it provided mainly by Joel FiskΓÇÖs ΓÇÿKeef ΓÇÿnΓÇÖ RonnieΓÇÖ riff at the core of the song. The dark and spooky ballad ΓÇ£This Body Of MineΓÇ¥, contemplates death, and again is brilliantly original . .  a brooding bass line from Fergie Fulton, some tough amplifed harmonica from Giles King, and resonator guitar from Fisk, with JoJo BurgessΓÇÖs vocals building to a crescendo.

ΓÇ£AeroplaneΓÇ¥ is another rocker which rides on a great harmonica and guitar hook, and the ΓÇÿtight as they comeΓÇÖ partnership of Fergie Fulton and Stephen Cutmore very impressive. The almost show-like ΓÇ£Birds In The RaftersΓÇ¥ changes tempo again . . . the wry tale of a 20-hour stay in an Indian railway station, and its nightmarish implications . .  . Giles KingsΓÇÖ amplified harmonica playing showing great tone and technique, with a great guitar solo from Fisk that never overstays its welcome.

CutmoreΓÇÖs drums pound out a jungle rhythm on the intro to ΓÇ£ApologiseΓÇ¥ before the band join in, the song having a rolling, jangly feel to it; they return to Eastern Europe for the sparse starting ΓÇ£Jackie BoyΓÇ¥, a tale of an old dog, whose bone is not for sharing, before the tempo increases on this jaunty, folky song; the dietary lesson that is ΓÇ£Watch What We EatΓÇ¥ has another wry lyric, and features more splendid, yet simple guitar and harmonica from Messrs. Fisk and King, and great harmony vocals.

The closing two songs are the jangly, swinging and dreamlike ΓÇ£RemingtonΓÇ¥, and the epic here, the lengthy ΓÇ£Bang Bang, the seven minute plus outlaw tale, that once again sees the guitar and harmonica pairing on top form, embellishing JoJo BurgessΓÇÖs rasping vocal . . . a suitably spectacular ending to one of the finest British releases this year, from a great and truly different band who are not afraid to take chances . . . hats off to them for that!

GRAHAME RHODES


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