ALBUM REVIEW: Navigation Blues – Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado

With over two decades of experience under their belts, Denmark roots-rockers THORBJØRN RISAGER & THE BLACK TORNADO are about to put out their eighth full-length record Navigation Blues. Their fusion of blues, soul, boogie and rock ’n’ roll has seen them tour across multiple continents to many a crowd and with all good reason.

Opening with the title track, we’re greeted with what can only be described as a rather alluring guitar track. If it was a person, they would be described as a smooth flirt. With a sound that feels like a cross between 50s rock a la ELVIS PRESLEY and country rock, you can picture yourself as a cowboy entering a saloon with everyone stopping and staring as you make your grand entrance.

That’s the great thing about this record, it’s upbeat and gives you confidence, it makes you want to get up and dance. Whether it’s a slow dance as pictured during The Way You Make Me Feel, swaying along to Blue Lullaby, a fun dance with Whatever Price, or a hoedown during Taking The Good With Bad, this album offers such a fun time to dance and smile to.

Reading about Risager’s upbringing in a small fishing village, it’s lovely to imagine a young boy sat in the harbour of a fishing village coming up with song lyrics and imagining performing in front of large crowds. Other treasured moments on the album include Time, which is slightly reminiscent of R.E.M’s Losing My Religion, as well as the tracks Something To Hold Onto and Fire Inside. It’s a collection of influences both new and old, and it’s a joy to listen to. Things do take a massive U-turn with concluding track Head Crash. Here we switch from a happy-go-lucky attitude to suddenly having an existential crisis, but we still love it!

Whether this is something that you would typically listen to or not, Navigation Blues is a record that can make anyone smile. It’s something that you can play if you want to get up and dance, if you want to relax, or if you want something to listen to as you work, there’s something for everyone. 

Rating: 9/10

Navigation Blues is set for release on September 30th via Provogue Records/Mascot Label Group.

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