Little Foot Long Foot - Oh, Hell
Little Foot Long Foot, damn big sound. They are bluesy, with classic and catchy riffs, eerie organs, and a female vocalist that pierces through it all. In dire musical times such as these, Little Foot Long Foot are sure to be warmly welcomed into ears across the country.
The Toronto trio (previously playing the blues in twos), comprised of dapper bearded drummer Isaac Klein, powerful but not shrill vocalist and guitarist goddess Joan Smith, and recently added organist and vocalist Caitlin Dacey, shows no lack of passion and keep the blues true to its roots. Oh, and they play hard.
Comparisons to the White Stripes seem inevitable here (a role reversal of the red, black, and white “brother and sister” team of Jack and Meg), but Little Foot Long Foot set themselves apart by not adhering to their iconic, minimalistic, and simplistic (but highly effective) drumming and guitar sound.
Joan Smith’s vocals can sometimes reflect the gritty growl of Alison Mosshart or Beth Ditto, with tinges of Joan Baez here and there. Paired up with her distorted guitar, it’s effortless to drink it all in. Klein’s drumming is en par with Smith, and toe-tapping is nearly unavoidable. Dacey’s organs are a welcome addition, as they add that final layer to each track, and round out the already seamless sound.
This is the band’s second full-length album, and with a title like Oh, Hell, you’ve got absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain. You’ll be taken to hell and back, sell your soul to the devil, but come out seeped in blues goodness.
The single, “Sell Out,” is a perfect introduction to the band. It features an unbelievably catchy riff, Smith’s piercing vocals and tongue-in-cheek lyrics, awesome organs, and deadly drums. The fifth track, “Kickface,” starts off in the deadliest manner with a scrumptious and spooky guitar and organ intro, almost making the listener feel as though they’re in a Vincent Price film. And with lyrics like, “Makes me feel bad, feels good that way,” this track is, well, damn good. The dance-y break near the end is just classic – denying a dance to it is futile.
“She Looks To You,” the eighth track on the album, starts off with quite a unique drum beat (nearly sounds like Klein is playing it in reverse), and then proceeds to literally explode into blues bliss. The amusingly titled “Neko Case Hate Fucks Kurt Cobain” is quite a standout track, starting off with a subtle organ, then leading into Smith’s wail and Klein’s drumstick taps, culminating in an explosion of sound. As Smith fiercely states in this track, “god damn.”
If you ever find yourself hankering a big-sound blues band, give Little Foot Long Foot a listen. Sounds this good are hard to come by, so do yourself a favour and go ahead and fall victim to this hard-hitting trio. Your ears will endure a blues killing, but they will thank you.
Oh, Hell will be released with EMI Music on June 28, 2011.
