Native Tongue
Stand Clear, 2025
8/10
The veteran blues rockers The Tasty Kings are in the company of Blondie Chaplin plus many other guests for these 10 fusion filled tracks.
The flowing and melodic “Done & Dusted” opens the listen with Charley Drayton’s crisp drums complementing Chaplin’s warm and distinct voice that adds much to the blues climate, and “Maybe I’m A Queen” follows with some grit amid the light and cozy musicianship that showcases Milo Deering’s dreamy dobro.
The middle spot belongs to the playful “Oceans Unfaithful”, where Juliana Sheffield’s soulful backing vocals and Ian McLagan’s well timed keys add much to the rich delivery, while “George Floyd” is a heartfelt moment populated by Tony Gariner’s fluid bass and Andrew Morse’s poetic guitar playing that suit Chaplin’s vivid storytelling.
“Kiss Me” and “Girl Next Door” exit the listen. The former uses Charlie Sexton’s meticulous guitar amid timeless folk ideas, and the latter places George Reiff on bass, which helps illuminate Chaplin’s inimitable presence and Morse’s touching guitar progressions.
Chaplin, who was born in South Africa, brings an impressive resume to this 3rd LP for The Tasty Kings, and it helps make for an Americana, R&B, blues and soul hybrid that’s easy to enjoy and difficult to forget.
Travels well with: Jacob Johnson- Surviving The Dream; Jeremy Dion- Bend In The Middle