Ritchie Dave Porter and Debra Susan’s new original Blues Rock single “No Good Heartbreaker” produced by Michael Tingle was released on February 15, so it is now out on all platforms.
We have covered Ritchie and Debra’s music off and on over the years and this one was sitting waiting for a listen. With a day off from baby duties (my one year old with granny) I am doing some catch-up reviews which should keep my editors happy!
Ritchie tells us that this one has “no effects pedals, natural amplifier gain and a stinging dirty Telecaster blues tone.” When we last spoke to Ritchie he told us, “I had Gibson Les Pauls, but I went into a music store a few years ago and fell in love with a Telecaster. It is that icy tone that cuts; nothing to me matches the feeling of playing a Telecaster. So every single track that Debra and I wrote for the “Story So Far” album — all thirteen tracks and singles — were played with the Telecaster through a Fender amp, no foot pedals. I write all the music, and Debra writes the lyrics and melodies, so I’m never sure what she will come up with for the chords and riffs I provide. She surprises me.”
With this in mind, a cup of tea in hand, the sofa settled into and headphones on and the cat playing manically with a hair band in the hallway – my first review of the day.
My review:
The track runs to 5:33, so it has some depth as a song, more of a middle-distance runner!
The song has a distinctly American feel about it, a slow heavy blues groove, and somewhere in there you can hear a little echo of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It is a little less commercial than some of their recent releases, but it carries a strong chorus and would suit very late-night radio — the sort of thing the night-shift crew would appreciate. I’m listening to this in the morning with the sun (unusually) shining, but it feels like a track that would really come alive live in a small club with the building rocking. Debra delivers a solid vocal performance, showing she can deliver a rock-infused vocal with the best of them.
So…If you like your blues rock slow, smoky and played with proper guitar bite, this one will do nicely. Best enjoyed late at night, preferably loud enough that the neighbours start wondering what’s going on.
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Artist website here
You can stream music from Ritchie Dave Porter and Debra Susan here
By Stevie Ritson