"Poised on the edge of
a major breakthrough...
sultry vocals, imaginative songwriting, and smoldering
fretwork..."
Don't dismiss blues-rock guitarist Laurie Morvan lightly.
With a degree in electrical engineering, a pilot's license,
and a background in the aerospace industry, this blue-eyed
blueswoman shatters any stereotypes about dumb blondes.
Morvan's technical background notwithstanding, her first
love is the blues. And the release of Fire It Up!
- her fourth album and third in the past five years -
has the Laurie Morvan Band poised on the edge of a major
breakthrough.
Over the 12 years since the release of Morvan's 1997 debut
album with her band Backroad Shack, the talented instrumentalist
has had to fight the battles familiar to just about every
distaff member of the blues fraternity. Female blues artists
just have a harder time being taken seriously: The truth
is that if a white teenage boy hit the shelves with a
guitar showcase like Fire It Up! we'd be singing
his praises from here to Valhalla. Morvan remains nonplused,
however, focusing on improving her craft. And the material
on her latest release proves that she's found an almost-perfect
balance of sultry vocals, imaginative songwriting, and
smoldering fretwork.
The songs on Fire It Up! tackle blues themes from a distinctively
feminine perspective, whether it's the defiant statement
of "Nothin' But the Blues," with its Southern-rock-tinged,
boogie-blues soundtrack and funky guitar and piano, or
the blues-rock flamethrower "Livin' in a Man's World,"
which features incendiary guitar play. Morvan is up front
with her sexuality, turning the tables with double-entendres
on "Come On Over to My BBQ." The ballad "Let
Me Carry Your Troubles" displays the subtlety and
grace of her six-string talent.
Fire It Up! is an inspired collection of original blues
and rock. One spin will convince you that Morvan has the
fire in her heart, the blues in her soul, and the talent
to grab the spotlight.
