image courtesy of Anders Damås

Single Review of Anders Damås: “Scarecrow & the Acres of Corn”

Anders Damås is a Norwegian bluesman. His most recent single “Scarecrow & the Acres of Corn” is very clearly a thumping, steady blues number of the story-song variety, telling the tale of the “Scarecrow & the Acres of Corn.” But within the blues genre, “Scarecrow…” lies in an almost experimental subgrouping, structured perhaps more as a jazz number might be. Anders’ vocal are more edgy than blue, slicing insistently through the music bed. And there are long stretches that are just instrumental, including a long blues guitar jam toward the end of the song.

It’s a neat song that will grow on you. It has enough unique and unusual features that you may not be quite sure what to make of it at first, but if you give it a few listens, you’ll discover the plethora of nuances in its instrumentation and delivery that will endear it to you before long. You know I like to suggest unique music that brings new, enjoyable angles to familiar music styles… but only if the music is well-done and interesting, which is true, of course, in this instance.

photo courtesy of Anders Damås

There’s an EP, Too!

Anders released several singles in the last couple of years. He seems to have bundled them up into a 6-track Scarecrow & the Acres of Corn EP. You can listen to the full EP via Spotify. Or you can purchase the EP and related merchandise at Anders’ website. You can also check out the songs individually via the “Discography” page on Anders’ website.

I’ve described the EP’s title track already, but the other five songs on the EP broaden the listening experience through a wide range of other, complementary musical styles: funky and light (“A Traveller’s Story”), funky and heavier (“D’Guineafowl Gumbo”), heavy and haunting, more theatrically progressive bluesy rock than blues (“Empress of the Blues”), low-fi, grinding blues rock (“Riding with the Devil”), and pure, harmonica-infused blues “Nightlife [Dracula’s Song]”).

Liner Notes

There are some interesting details in the notes on Anders’ “Discography” web page. Of interest to regular GWMB readers, Steinar Karlsen, whose Destination Venus album was reviewed by contributor Eric Harabadian in 2021, plays electric baritone guitar on “D’Guineafowl Gumbo.” Meanwhile, Anders provides all of the instrumentation and vocals on three of the songs on the EP. However, on “Scarecrow & the Acres of Corn,” Anders is joined by a full band, with his performance role limited to vocals, drums, and percussion. Interesting details, eh?