Relix Magazine: Issue 23-02
-- March/April - 1996
In many ways, blues
guitarist/singer/songwriter Tom Larsen hardly qualifies as being
"too new to be known." For better than a decade and
a half he has been playing professionally. He’s released half a dozen
independent albums, the latest being Dangerous Love (Catwalk), and has
had songs covered by Johnny Winter among others.
Larsen doesn’t play
traditional blues per se. One listen to his razor sharp leads on "Straight
Edge" or the soul-drenched title cut offer plenty of evidence of that. His
guitar simply soars in "Cataman" and the funky tones of "Mr.
Pump." He also shows off his versatility in the album’s two closing cuts,
"I’m The Man" and "Off the Wagon." The former is a
rollicking rockabilly tinged song while the latter is a stark acoustic blues
number. Every cut on this disc shows this guy’s a monster guitar player. The
sound quality of the recording is also noteworthy.