Ed Englerth

Item: Pingo
Author: Brian A. Smith

Pingo

(2002)

Reviewed by Brian A. Smith

Bandcamp Apple Music

Label Blue Side DownThe Phantom Tollbooth2002

blues folk jazz

Pingo shows Ed Englerth making choices more suited to his vocal style than on Little Bit of Me Everywhere. "What Have I Become?" features some excellent guitar work with Englerth's plaintive vocals. "Coffee Blues" is well suited to his bluesy, almost growling voice, and is exactly about what you think by the title.

"Angels" is more of a pop-oriented tune, while "Shall We Stop" features mandolin, with Englerth sounding as if he is channeling Merle Haggard. "One More Chance" resembles Jonny Lang.

The highlight of the album is "I'll Break Through," which could be a lost Kenny Wayne Shepherd single -- the combination of voice to music here works as well as any song on either of the albums I've heard. "Flashes of Ignorance" contains my favorite line on the album: "The politics of love are fought in the fields..."

Pingo shows the extent of Englerth's musical range. Like Neil Young or Jonathan Rundman, he refuses to be pinned down to one particular genre, while having it all still work somehow. Pingo will hold your attention from beginning to end.

3.5 tocks