Review: Tom Davies and the Bluebirds – Angel On The Mississippi
Self/Released – April 10th, 2026
Reviewer – Paul Dubbelman
Tom Davies and the Bluebirds may not be a name that is familiar to many but watch this space because this young man and his band are most definitely going places. Already ruffling feathers in the UK blues community, the Hampshire-based Guitar-slinger and songwriter has already received a number of nominations at the UK Blues Awards for Young Blues Artist of the Year, and Emerging Artist of the Year, over the last couple of years.
The current line-up of Tom on Guitar and Vocals, Gary Lyons on Drums, and Si Davis laying down the bass lines, has only been around since early 2022, so attracting the attention of the UK Blues Federation members speaks volumes about the work rate of the band. Tom Davies and the Bluebirds have toured regularly in Europe and In Ireland, including repeat performances at Ballyshannon and appearing alongside Eric Bell and Gerry Quigley so perhaps it is less of a surprise that they are attracting a lot of attention in the music world.
10th April saw the release of their debut album ‘Angel On The Mississippi‘ and this will surely take their trajectory in a very upward direction. The trio, augmented by Keyboard wizard Ray Drury have produced a fine and varied album that pays homage to the Delta blues and highlights Tom’s incredible guitar skills.
‘Angel On The Mississippi‘ opens with ‘Angel On The Delta‘, a slow, sensual blues, Tom’s guitar blending with Ray’s keys to evoke images of the Sun slowly rising over the vast emptiness of the delta, and a vocal laced with anguish and emotion. ‘Angel on the Mississippi‘ continues in a similar vein, slow, slide-heavy guitar, that gravel-soaked-in-bourbon voice expressing the pain and hardship of life as that Ol’ Man River slides slowly by without a care. Don’t let those first two tracks fool you into thinking that this is going to be a slow, late-night, listen. ‘Devil’s Highwater‘ is a stomping blues full of riffs and licks and heavily laced with Hammond to get the blood pumping and the foot tapping. At times, the guitar strays into heavy rock territory, and the engine room enhance that vibe with solid drums and bass lines, before returning to the original motif.
First, of two, instrumental on the album is ‘Blues For Greeny‘, starting with Santana-esque Latin rhythms, it morphs into a Peter Green era Fleetwood Mac Blues rocker before returning to those spine-shaking Latin beats.
Tom and the band throw in a couple of covers and give them the Full Bluebirds treatment; Chester Burnett’s ‘You Gonna Wreck My Life‘ gets heavy riffs and soaring keys over solid, driving beats while Tom’s version of B.B. King’s ‘I’ve Got a Mind to give up Living‘, stays close to the vibe of the original but brings up to today with an anguished vocal and a wailing solo to express the emotion within the song.
The album closes very much as it starts with ‘Mainland Evil‘, a delicately picked guitar riff, with some tasty slide work adding contrast to this hymn to the delta.
‘Angel On the Mississippi‘ is a creditable first album from this young band, showcasing their undoubted musical ability and passion, and is sure to garner the band more attention as they grow and develop.
Tracklisting:
- Alone On The Delta
- Alone on the Mississippi
- Devil’s Highwater
- Holding On A Fool
- Looking For An Alibi
- Blues For Greeny
- Can’t Trust Your Lover
- You Gonna Wreck My Life (Chester Burnett)
- I’ve Got A Mind To Give Up Living (B.B. King)
- Other Side of Town
- Mainland Evil
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