photo courtesy of Chris Wragg

Album Review of Chris Wragg and Greg Copeland: The Last Sundown

Greg Copeland’s deep, hoarse-yet-smooth, rough-hewn vocals and Chris Wragg’s guitarwork, which is at times deft and at other times emits a soulful wail, are about as blues as it gets. The Last Sundown, the second full-length album from Chris Wragg and Greg Copeland, is a deep and powerful release, covering a broad swath of blues ground across its 14 tracks, which run the gamut of blues tempos and delivery styles.

The album kicks off with a blues wailer, a cover of Louisiana Red’s “Alabama Train,” a track you’ll enjoy almost immediately and one of just two covers on the album. Chris and Greg follow it with a slower number, “Can’t Shake These Blues,” an earnest but smooth song that will soon have you singing along with “I’ve been misused, and I’ve been abused, but I just can’t shake these blues.”

image courtesy of Chris Wragg

“Don’t Let the Devil Ride” is probably the funniest song on the album. The oft-covered Oris Mays track is absolutely done justice by Chris and Greg, from Chris’ riffs ranging from jagged to rip-roaring and Greg’s vocals primarily earnest but also acknowledging the lyrics’ silliness with his vocal inflection in the spoken word portion.

Before and after that fun number are a pair of songs that delve into shameful times in American history. “1964” is a soulful civil rights song on which Chris’ unnerving, dancing guitar line and the nuances of the song’s mix combine well with Greg’s heavy, rough-edged vocals, with spoken words “We got to love each other, y’all” near the end of the song providing the forward-looking words to live by. Meanwhile, “The Last Sundown” is told from the point of view of the great great great great grandson of a slaveowner and a slave talking to the slaveowner on the last night of his life, via emotional lyrics that include his closing words, “As I look so deep into your eyes, I get the chance to see just how a coward dies.” The tempo and the guitar riffs add to the power of the vocals and lyrics. The song’s closing lyrics are an indictment on just how little things have progressed since then: “I guess the only thing that changes in America is the weather.”

photo courtesy of Chris Wragg

“House Burned Down” takes on the task of following that powerhouse, and its softly sung and sparsely instrumented arrangement meets that task with aplomb. “Losing Hand,” next, is kind of a slow-rocking blues number with a nifty guitar hook, a probably crowd-pleasing “say yeah” lyric, and an always enjoyable rhythm – one of those songs you’ll turn up the volume to whenever you hear it.

“When the Cold Winds Blow” is perhaps the best slow-tempo song on the disc, with a slowly-plodding rhythm propelling the song forward. Meanwhile, “Miss Ruby” and “Just a Man” offer some mid-tempo enjoyment with varying soundbeds – “Miss Ruby” more booming, “Just a Man” more of a jazzy blues groove.

“After the Sun Goes Down” warrants mention, with a guitar line that’s almost a blues-based classic rocker before the album closes with one final slow, dark, and weighty number, “Gonna Be With My Maker.”

Beginning to end, The Last Sundown is a powerful album, impeccably performed and memorable. If you’re a blues fan, it’s an absolute must-hear.