Harkonen, Kepa: Spicy Tales & Spacey Tones

Long associated with the Wristshakers, Finnish guitarist Kepa Harkonen now strikes out on his own with some Spicy Tales & Spacey Tones, an instrumental album that delves deep into this man’s love of the surf sound. Obvious comparisons to the likes of Dick Dale and Link Wray are unavoidable but dig a little deeper on an album where the contributions from drummer Daniel Hjerppe, bassist Robban Hagnas and keyboard player Pekka Grohn simply can’t be underestimated and you’ll find a whole lot more going on.

Interestingly, in terms of Harkonen’s guitar tone, the first flavours I picked up were those not of natural surf-sounders but instead of Hank Marvin of The Shadows and, in places, the Latino smoothness of Carlos Santana. That in itself makes for a smart pay-off between gliding fret mastery and a more urgent bite, with the two counterpoints allowing for a varied journey as we flit from the marching, deliberate “Slow Surf� through to the dancing swirl of “Funky Hi-Heels�, where darting organ slots in neatly next to the fluid guitar. That, as you’d expect, is a feature right across this album, Harkonen a silky-skilled but laid back presence that drives all of these tracks forward. “Havana Dream� is maybe the most blatantly Santana like cut on show, with the flurry of notes adding a joyous air. At the other end of the spectrum, the moody and mean “The Last Independence Day� swirls into a heady storm that proves enigmatically engaging and in truth, so successful is it that I’d personally have enjoyed a few more numbers set in this style.

With ten of the twelve tracks in evidence Harkonen penned, a further two covers add to the flow of the album, Freddie King’s “Fish Fare� given a thorough and energetic workout. Whereas the spooky tones of The Bel-Airs’ “Mr Moto� illustrates perfectly the seamless bond between the rhythm section as they take control of the bottom end and Harkonen and Grohn’s telepathically interweaving guitar lines and organ patterns.

Spicy Tales & Spacey Tones is one of those instrumental albums where you barely notice the lack of lyrics, instead simply revelling in the expert level of musicianship on display and in the end it’s that aspect that makes this such a fun collection to get to know. For surf scene devotees or those who like to spend an hour or so in the company of an excellent guitarist backed by an equally talented band, it’s time to get ready for some sumptuously tangy stories and star filled sounds.

Track Listing
1. Havana Dream

2. Funky Hi-Heels 

3. Caravan of Reindeers

4. Lime Green Blues

5. Escape From The City

6. Mr. Moto 

7. Slow Surf

8. Lapache

9. The Last Independence Day

10. Happy

11. Fish Fare

12. Blue Flames

Added: September 12th 2019
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Buy Spicy Tales & Spacey Tones Here
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Language: english

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