USM - United State Of Mind (Album Review)
United State of Mind shouldn’t work as well as it does. On paper the idea of Robin Trower the guitar ace and Procol Harum founding member - who sold millions of records in the 70s and 80s with his brand of power-trio, blues-rock - forming a band with Maxi Priest the British singer who enjoyed chart success in the 1990s (‘Close To You’ was a US No.1 in 1990) with a sound that merged elements of reggae and R&B seems at the very least unlikely (The pair aren’t quite David and Bing but it’s a pretty close run thing). Any fears prove unfounded as there is plenty of musical chemistry on show here. Robin initially met Maxi by chance in the studio of producer Livingstone Brown who recalls “When Robin first met Maxi; I thought this cannot end well. Wow, this record is proof I was so wrong!” Livingstone Brown is the glue that holds USM together utilising his bass and keyboard skills alongside his duties as the producer on as soulful a record as you’re likely to hear this year.
Brown had worked with Trower and Priest in the past on individual projects and has a host of impressive credits on his CV including The Climax Blues Band, Tina Turner, Bryan Ferry, Kylie Minogue and Bill Withers, and he brings many of these past associations to bear on United State Of Mind. Opening with the title track USM lay down a light soulful groove, Trower adds some funky licks and Priest delivers a smooth, mature vocal with just a little edge on the corners. The production is clear and precise allowing plenty of room for some subtle string and horn additions to fill out the sound while Trower’s thick, gnarly lead lines fit in rather well, roughing up some of the smoothness just a little. ‘Are We Just People’ is up next employing a deeper groove with Brown’s bass to the fore as Trower steps up with a couple of lovely bluesy solos. Two songs in and I’m hooked.
‘On Fire Like Zsa Zsa’ is a much tougher beast thanks to drummer Chris Taggart and especially Fergus Gerrand’s clanky percussion before the guys throttle back for the gorgeous slow blues of ‘Walking Wounded’. Brown’s deep bass notes, an emotive vocal from Priest, sweeping strings and a stunner of a solo from Trower make this a standout on the album. Horns are to the fore on ‘Sunrise Revolution’ and a track that I’m sure would be a crowd-pleaser if played live ‘Hands To The Sky’ both of which lyrically sit somewhere between reggae and Marvin Gaye. As we enter the home stretch the seductive ‘Bring It All Back To You’ finds Priest in fine form and Trower at his most soulful before the funky/blues groove of ‘Good Day’ throws a welcome curveball via a midsong breakdown that highlights the string arrangement. The album concludes with ‘Where Our Love Comes From’ which features Maxi Priest’s best vocal of the album and a wonderfully meandering solo from Trower.
USM is super smooth (the press release uses the term frictionless and it’s hard to disagree) but it works perfectly. Robin Trower’s effortless, languid playing is an object lesson in less-is-more. Guitarists who feel the need to play a million notes a second would do well to check out Trower whose unhurried approach (occasionally you’re almost wondering when the next note will arrive) perfectly fits in with the feel the trio are aiming for. It’s far from a one-man show though as all three members of USM pull their weight and then some; Priest sounds great, Brown’s bass playing is tight as a drum and the horn and string arrangements add to the songs rather than distract from them. Fans of classic 70s soul and blues acts will find much to enjoy here, so my advice is crack open a bottle, light a candle, dim the lights and go with the flow.
United State Of Mind is available now digitally and on CD/LP March 5th, 2021 via Manhaton Records.
Ledfoot aka Tim Scott McConnell and Ronni Le Tekrø seem, at first look, like an odd pair. Tim, born in Florida, has been based in Norway for many years, adopting the Ledfoot moniker in 2007 after a string of solo releases on major labels and as frontman of The Havalinas. Ronni Le Tekrø is best known as the guitarist in TNT, Norwegian rock royalty, enjoying considerable international success since their formation in 1982. The Norwegian connection would seem to be the cement here, and ‘Limited Edition Lava Lamp’ is their second record as a duo.