I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Force of Will, from Dave Fields and it's quite good. Opening with modern boogie, I Love My Baby, multi instrumentalist Fields on vocal and guitar (among other things) is joined by Bill Ferns on harp. A solid melody and rhythm and always tight vocals make this opener a natural radio track. Big Block is a hard driving blues rocker with tight drum beat by Van Romaine and metal influenced blues guitar riffs that will curl your hair. Very cool. Hunger is a bit more of an abstract rocker with a solid foundation and Jeff Beck influenced guitar riffs with Buddy Allen on bass and Lee Jeffryes on drums. Very nice. Straightforward blues ballad, Why Can't You Ever Treat Me Right is really strong with excellent modern blues soloing by Fields and excellent vocals. Joined by Bjorn Hagset on bass and Kare Andersen on drums, this is my favorite blues track on the release. Another solid blues ballad, It's Not Ok with Fields on lead vocal and and soaring guitar lead, demonstrates real crowd appeal while capturing the guitar crowd with low fretboard work and excellent dynamics. Chloe & Otis is a cool funky jazz based number based on a Steely Dan format. You like Becker and Fagen, you'll love this with Vlad Barsky on keys, Buddy Allen on bass, Kenny Soule on drums and Fields working lead vocal, guitar and keys. Very nice. You want wide open guitar work.... Delmar is it. Distortion, divebombs and tapping... excellent! Another track that really gets my attention is Jack Ham Her with an excellent bottom from Boyd and Romaine and just guitar instrumental. Fields could do an entire release of this style work for me and I'd be happy but I love the all out guitar exploration stuff. This is terrific! Wrapping the release is Best I Can, a radio rocker in the Free/Paul Rogers vein, with a solid melody and heavy bottom. Fields on lead vocal and keys over Soule on snappy drumming and tightly knit in guitar work makes this a strong closer.
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