George Collins is a man of many moods. Even in the short time I have been acquainted with his music, he has wandered across a broad musical landscape with deftness and assuredness. Here, we find him playing the part of the introspective bluesman and dispenser of soulful roots music. It’s a role that he appears born to play, as Scarred For Life has that one thing that sets the good blues apart from the bad: authenticity.
I have heard many players attempt the blues and come across as hollow and calculated chancers at best. Admittedly, those I speak of have generally been ex-rhythm guitar players with hard rock and metal bands who think that just because their chosen music, on paper at least, shares the same structures and progressions as that earlier form, they can make the switch with ease. No matter how well they play, their heart is never in it, and at best, all they can offer is a shallow facsimile of that sound.
George Collins is different because it is immediately apparent that he believes in what he is doing, cares about the song, and is passionate about what he is playing. The pace is poised, the sound spaceous, and the music dynamic and atmospheric. By the time the brass section breezes into earshot and keyboards mark time in a strident, staccato fashion, as the guitar solo snakes through and the vocals are joined by a gospel voice, there is no doubting that this is the real deal.
The result is a song that is soulful and seductive and which comes from the right place, not the head, maybe not even the heart, but most definitely the soul.