"Backbeat": The sixth album by the Tommy Schneller Band comes around the corner at full steam. Into the tray with CD 1 of the two-part digipack: Jens Filser's filthy slide guitar rips into action, and within seconds, the blues/soul locomotive rolls through your brain and doesn't stop for the next 49 minutes.
"Rhythm is truth," Tommy croaks into the microphone on the opener, "Backbeat." A line you could get tattooed. Leaning back, the seven-piece band grooves through ten great songs. This is timeless blues music with a rock edge, always with a foot in soul. At the center is Tommy's distinctive voice—the cigarette on the cover is no decoration—and his unmistakable saxophone.
Tommy Schneller's sound breathes the air of Beale Street, but on CD 2, Tommy dares to experiment and sings three songs in his native language. Blues-rooted music with German lyrics—can that work? It can. The translated versions are at least as authentic and relaxed as the English-language numbers. The big advantage: you can start singing along even faster.
CD 1
01 Backbeat
02 Trust In Yourself
03 I Know What You're Thinking
04 Tipsy's
05 Barefootin'
06 Let Your Soul Shine
07 Cold Attitude
08 The Sun Is Shining Again
09 Love Is The Key
10 Tryin' To Let Go
CD 2
01 Ass-cold style
02 Let the soul fly
03 I hear you thinking out loud
04 Ass Cold Art (Radio Edit)
05 Let the soul fly (Radio Edit)
06 I hear you thinking loudly (Radio Edit)
