Popa Chubby – Back To New York City

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Over the years Ted “Popa Chubby” Horowitz hasn’t had the luxury of getting many of his records, 13 to date, released in the UK, but since joining Mascot’s Provogue label he’s been able to get much wider distribution for his albums, and this is the second to come from that collaboration following 2010′s The Fight Is On. Throughout the course of Back In New York City‘s 11 tracks Popa barely puts a foot wrong. All of the traditional blues traits are touched upon, mixed with plenty of ZZ Top-ish southern blues rock and even a little early Aerosmith in places (like the breakdowns in Warrior God). Smoldering groover Pound of Flesh, admittedly a slightly harder version of his cover of Leonard Cohen‘s The Future later on, is one of the stand-out moments alongside Keep Your Woodpile Dry, but in actual fact each style he attempts here works perfectly. The album also spans both ends of Popa’s musical attitudes when it comes to being serious, with the rather silly Warrior God mirrored by the thoughtful Warren Haynes-tinged Stand Before The Sun later (and of course a guitar version of Bach’s Jesus Joy of Man’s Desire to close the disc). Otherwise every track here is catchy and even the love song, A Love That Will No Die, is a grooving blues rocker. Chubby’s voice is much smoother on record than it is live and especially on the slower tracks, he adds a real soulful touch to otherwise boisterous songs. As well-crafted blues rock goes, this is just about as good as it gets.

Written by Andy Lye
More: 2011, Albums, Blues, Quick.Play Reviews, Popa Chubby