Erja Lyytinen
Voracious Love
Ruf Records

Erja Lyttinen is an impressive blues singer and slide guitarist and with this album she really comes into her own. Her playing is impressive throughout and her singing is equally deft.

"Don't Let A Good Woman Down" sees her pulling out all the stops and playing as if her life depended on it. The tune is pretty standard blues, but she makes it fresh and energetic. "Bed of Roses" is a duet with Marco Hietala from Nightwish that depicts a couple falling out of love to a cinematic sweep of sounds. Their vocals seem to contrast well with each other and gest the message across. "I Think of You" is a strong yet supple song where Lyytinen's singing comes across well. She's really a strong artist and this is one of the reasons why. It's a poppier song than the others and becomes a welcome contrast. She covers Blind Willie Johnson's "Soul of a Man" and gets away with it by virtue of having a fresh approach to the song.

Her new album is a treat for blues fans and should win the genre some new fans as well.

Copyright © 2010 Anna Maria Stjärnell