Under the Spell

AMG Review of Under the Spell

Michael B. Smith
All Music Guide

With Under the Spell, Australian guitarist Dave Hole and his veteran backup band manage to lasso in all of the energy from their live concerts, while under the roof of a usually antiseptic recording studio environment. All but three of the 12 tracks were written by Hole and rank among his best work to date. Rocking through "Demolition Man" and delivering a sweet soul-blues allad with "Don't Say Goodbye," Hole once again expresses his musical diversity with a flair. He manages to remain a true original while still feeding off of his major influences -- people like the Rolling Stones, Muddy Waters, the Animals, Howlin' Wolf, and Muddy Waters. "Holding Pattern" rocks with a Stevie Ray Vaughan feel, and Hole's passionate vocals are a real treat on his cover of John Lee Hooker's "Run With Me." "More Love, Less Attitude" is an infectious groove that begs to be heard time and time again, and Hole simply smokes on the electric slide -- there are no two ways about it. Under the Spell combines excellent acoustic foundations, topped with blistering slide work and power-soaked vocals, to provide one of the finest lues albums of the year. The CD should be required listening for all fans and students of the slide guitar, as well as connoisseurs of the lues in general.