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Reviews (4)
Blues blast magazine
d. 3. May 2019
By
By
Marty Gunther
d. 3. May 2019
"Smith delivers a musical tip of the hat to his forebears here, but it serves simply as the foundation of what is truly a contemporary set. He relies on modern polyrhythms to lay the foundation as he delivers an all-original collection of tunes that echo the sights and sounds of the inner city - where he grew up - far more than that of any cotton field ... Drop The Hammer is a winner on all counts. Highly recommended for anyone with a taste for modern sounds but strong blues roots".
Making a scene
d. 26. Apr. 2019
By
By
Richard Ludmerer
d. 26. Apr. 2019
"The title track "Drop The Hammer" uses modern sounds and technology; it is an example of what is sometimes referred to as "trance blues". The theme on these and on the album in general is that the time has arrived for Smith to "Drop The Hammer", "Pull The Trigger", and "Let fly". It is time for him to be bandleader; time for him to become the artist he is destined to be. There will be "stones in his pass way". Smith embraces life. He brings it on. This is a new beginning".
DownBeat
2019 July
By
By
Frank-John Hadley
2019 July
"Drummer Smith has one foot in modern blues and the other planted in the classic Chicago style championed by his father, "Big Eyes" Willie, of Muddy Waters Band fame. Disappointingly, Smith's album is of limited interest, more tedious than intriguing. The bandleader's voice lacks nuances of tone and provides few sparks of expression. The tunes are lightweight, so even skillful playing by Smith, guitarist Billy Flynn and other Chicagoans isn't enough".
Living blues
2019 April
By
By
David Whiteis
2019 April
" ... a bracing meld of old-school blues fervor and forward-looking blues elan. Smith, known mostly as a dedicated roots man, stretches out here; the set includes everything from the expected straightforward shuffles through mystery-tinged, acoustic Delta evocations (the opening Head Pounder) to rock-flavored crunch blues (the title tune) and torrid funk-rock-blues fusion (Puppet on a String, on which Smith jubilantly gets his Ginger Baker on). He also reveals himself to be an expressive singer, with a grainy timbre and an emotional range that extends deeper and wider, and can plumb depths much darker and more ominous, than some might have expected ... he's a forward-looking artist, abrim with ideas and girded with the courage to explore new and challenging directions".