Fairweather-Low, Sweet Soulful Music (Proper American)

 

Andy Fairweather-Low’s one of those names that fans of British rock ’n’ roll know, even if they’re not positive what he’s famous for. He has been around since the 1960s, and most recently has played rhythm guitar with Eric Clapton. On Sweet Soulful Music, his first album in 26 years, he recalls Dave Edmunds more than Clapton, as he treats good-time, bluesy R&B pop with a curatorial sense of propriety. He doesn’t take any untoward liberties with a perfectly good tradition, but he doesn’t leave the music sanitized the way Clapton often does. He didn’t try to make music for the masses; he made an album that reflects his affections with some Beatles-esque melodies. The results are charming and entertaining, if not always memorable.