Good Trouble
VizzTone, 2022
8/10
The powerhouse duo of Annika Chambers & Paul Deslauriers come together for a soulful, blues-rock effort that includes both covers and originals, and often tackles social issues with strong attention to detail.
“You’ve Got To Believe” starts the listen with Chambers’ soaring pipes alongside warm mandolin and searing guitar work, and “Stand Up” follows with some funk flavor in the soulful rock that makes great use of Kim Richardson’s well timed backing vocals.
Elsewhere, “Walk A Mile In My Shoes” benefits from Barry Seelen’s organ prowess and Gary Davenport’s precise bass to complement Chambers’ expressive singing, while the gritty “We Got The Blues” brings no lack of melody to the thumping climate.
Closer to the end, “Money’s Funny” places Bernard ‘Bingo’ Deslauriers on drums and Alex McElcheran on bass for the lively and dynamic rocker, and the fuzzy “I Need More Power” burns slow with a timeless and rugged finish that’s quite memorable.
A project that began during the pandemic when Chambers and Deslauriers, who were newlyweds, got together with the guitarist JP Soars and drummer Chris Peet for some home studio sessions. The endeavor continued to grow into this exceptional listen, which is, thankfully, probably not the last collaboration between the couple.
Travels well with: Kat Riggins- Progeny; Crystal Shawanda- Midnight Blues