Brother Dege (aka Dege Legg) is a solo songwriter/guitarist from Lafayette, Louisiana, who’s been writing and arranging his own blues music since the late ‘90s. Since the addition of his song “Too Old To Die Young” to the soundtrack of Django Unchained, he has composed new material that is due out in November on How To Kill A Horse. The title-track is a brilliant mesh of techniques including the pedal steel, acoustic finger-picking and sustains. Every note comes together to form a wall of sound near the end, showcasing the talent of Dege and those who helped out on the record. On “The Darker Side Of Me” and “The Black Sea,” the pace is set with the use of the bass drum and percussion. The drums continue to impress as they sit high in the mix on the instrumental “O‘Dark 30.”
“Crazy Mother Fucker” is one of my favorites on the record. There is a nice contrast used on the guitar tones, with low and high notes played throughout. The notes played on “Wehyah” distinctly follow the same pattern as the vocals. “Last Man Out Of Babylon” is the last cut on the record, and also the longest. Nearing the eight-minute mark, this track brings the listener on a sonic journey with slide guitar laying melodically over finger-picked acoustic chords.
There has been a recent revival of blues/blues rock the past few years. With musicians like The Black Keys, Gary Clark, Jr. and Seasick Steve all emerging into the spotlight, Brother Dege shows us through How To Kill A Horse that he is worth the same attention.
In A Word: Soulful
