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Sunday
Herald 7th March 2004
Reviewed by Sue Wilson
White lightening ****
Those who know Edinburgh’s Tam White solely as a bluesman
might be surprised by the mix of sounds on his eighth album,
much of which is a flavoursome stew of retro jazz-funk, soul
and even Latin stylings, seasoned with a dash of disco. And
while his singing can muster a truckload of gravel, here it’s
his smoother side that’s on show, as in the sultry,
cocksure seduction pitch Small Talk. Other tracks display
a grittier Stateside feel, such as the insistent Nature Of
The Beast, with its densely-worded vocal, or the punchy, hard-bitten
Man Dancin’. Traditionalists will probably hate his
version of Burns’s Slave’s Lament, but he succeeds
in retaining the original’s intensity of feeling within
a contemporary treatment .
THE LIST **** APRIL 2004
Reviewed by Kenny Mathieson
Another strong outing from an artist who has flirted with
bigger things at various points in his career, but - for a
variety of reasons - never quite made the final push. Tam
is habitually described as a blues singer, and while he has
that in his locker beyond any argument, it is far from alone
there - rock, R+B, funk, country and jazz all play a part
in the totality of his style. His voice has mellowed over
the years, and has lost none of it's expressive qualities
in the process. Hold On is also a powerful reminder of his
strengths as a songwriter, which is how this disc came about
in the first place, when film producer Norman Stone decided
to make a movie based on the album's last track, Man Dancin'.
Musician - Journal of the Musicians'
Union Spring 2004
Reviewed by Kit Packham
The 11 songs on Hold On have an 'unplugged'
atmosphere in the main. white has worked on the blues circuit
for many years but some of these tracks (notably Nature of
the Beast) could almost be a homage to Bob Dylan. Linda's
Hideaway dangerously close to schmaltz, and White's vocal
sometimes recalling Johnny Cash (not to mention a line in
Falling where he refers to himself as a cowboy), is there
also some country influence at work here? Regardless of classifications,
Tam's many years of experience show in well-constructed songs,
well played, well sung and well arranged. Solos are brief,
mostly on guitar and always tasteful an complementary to the
song.
The Inverness Courier - 19th March 2004
Reviewed by Calum Macleod
Former stonemason White has the kind of voice that makes you
suspect he didn't so much work with stone as gargle with it.
Not what you might call a pretty voice but packed with character.
Just the sort of voice you want to sing the blues. he is on
more relaxed form here than in some of his past recordings
and listening is as pleasurable as an evening in with a fine
aged malt. White tips his fedora to jazz and funk with a smidgen
of lazy blues and a remake of his earlier "Man Dancin'"
to tie in with the release of a feature film which borrows
the title. he penned 10 of the 11 tracks. and shows fine form
as a songwriter, but listen out for his collaboration with
that gifted young lyricist Robert Burns on 'Slave's lament'.
It's enough to make you swear the blues were invented on the
Annan delta and not the Mississippi.
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