George Leach's
"Just Where I'm At"

Review
by Dave Henderson

The cover of this CD features a pensive man, standing with
his head bowed and holding his guitar. I got the impression that
this would be a simple, acoustic album, introspective and self-conscious. Though many of his tracks are about his life and relations, they are well-suited to his catchy songwriting and multi-instrument talents.

The artist played guitars and basses, as well as singing backup and lead vocals. Only the drums are played by someone else, and that turns out to be the recording engineer! A full sound, yet not an overly commercial one. There is a good mix of uptempo songs, from the blues shuffle of "Young Enough," to the more rock-oriented sound of "Dizzy Dog."

Ballads are well-represented also, with my favourites being the tender bossa nova of "Semiah," in which his vocals and guitar complement each other very well, to the traditional-sounding slide guitar in "Cross Roads." It is clear that Mr. Leach enjoys playing, and furthermore enjoys expressing himself in many ways. He shows his talents as a visual artist in the liner notes, with some quite complex drawings.

The record flows well from one song to the next; a complementary mix of subject matter and sound to keep the listener engaged. Most songs are over 4 minutes long, and this is a good thing. On the back of the CD, there is a picture of the artist, guitar in hand, singing and smiling. I think that is a good summing up of this record - a fun and interesting blues album, in which Mr. Leach offers the listener a musical view of his life.