THE SLEEP EAZY’S
EASY TO BUY, HARD TO SELL
ALBUM REVIEW
8/10
Released: 10 April 2020
Provogue/J&R Adventures
Genre: jazz, rockabilly, funk, bluegrass, and more
Special thanks to: Mascot Label Group
Track list:
1. Fun House
2. Move
3. Ace Of Spades
4. Ha So
5. Hawaiian Eye
6. Bond (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service)
7. Polk Salad Annie
8. Blue Nocturne
9. It Was A Very Good Year
WRITTEN BY ALEX ALICIA MEDIA
A collective effort of insane musicianship featuring Joe Bonamassa and his fellow 5-star tour mates gives any instrumental lover something to get excited over this April. Their latest album Easy to Buy, Hard to sell, due for release under band name the Sleep Eazy’s on April 10th, is a perfectly bizarre combination of jazz, rockabilly, funk, and bluegrass. It comes complete with newly revised covers of classics from the likes of Frank Sinatra, King Curtis, and Bonamassa’s late, great friend and mentor, Danny Gatton. The six-string maestro pays tribute to Gatton, whom Bonamassa highly-regards as ‘one of the greatest guitarists of all time’ in this timeless memoir.
Danny Gatton 1945-1994
Throwing it back to some of the most pioneering genres in music from jive-inspired tracks to classic 1969 Bond themes, the Sleep Eazy’s have produced a great celebration of vintage vibes brought to us in a modern-day era.
Ha So, is short, sweet and completely fun showing off the tightness and togetherness of the band during this timely classic. You can tell they’re genuinely having a good time and vibing off each other in the studio, leaving the listener with a sense of nostalgia for times long gone.
The slotted in James Bond theme is rather tedious as it’s been done a thousand times, but I guess it’s especially relevant now given that the latest Daniel Craig film is set to hit our screens this 2020.
Honing in on the creator of this entire project, Bonamassa is certainly at his best in blues track Blue Nocturne. His impressive ability to get notes out of a guitar that others could only dream of is demonstrated here and throughout. The music alone is captivating enough that you’ll hardly notice that vocals are missing!
Joe Bonamassa live
I applaud the bravery of Bonamassa in releasing such a niche album. In doing so, he knows he’s appealing to a new and possibly smaller group of fans but has the guts to go for it anyway and as a result, has put out an experimental array of sounds that echo bands such as The Commitments or The Shadows.
Easy to Buy, Hard to Sell is a welcomed alternative to the releases Bonamassa has previously unveiled, including recent collaborations with blue’s sensation Beth Hart, and Black Country Communion. Maybe hard-core Bonamassa fans will find this album a great addition to their collection but this could also be a good introduction to new fans who aren’t necessarily familiar with him or the band already.
It simply made me smile!
The Sleep Eazy’s performing Bond live:
Image sources:
Album cover: Courtesy of Mascot Label Group
Danny tribute: Courtesy of Google Images
Joe Bonamassa live: Courtesy of Stereoboard.com
The Sleep Eazy’s live: Courtesy of YouTube
