Album Review: HeavyDrunk and Watermelon Slim – Bluesland Theme Park

The music travels to many destinations on this 11-track, self-released album. Bluesland Theme Park is a split set, with tracks by HeavyDrunk (born Rob Robinson) and by award-winning singer-songwriter Watermelon Slim (William P. Homans III). The styles of the two artists are quite different, and the tracks are mixed between HeavyDrunk and Slim throughout the album. Juxtaposed as they are, the songs of the two artists coexist somewhat uneasily, giving the record a character more like a radio playlist than an album-proper.

Combining carnivalesque melodic licks, rock intensity and a stomping bluesy feel, “Bluesland Theme Park” is more than a little heavy on gimmicks. But it’s also an irresistible performance, one that introduces the eclectic musical worldview of HeavyDrunk. “New Wine” is hypnotic and funky; it features slinky guitar work competing with a chunky horn section and a spirited female vocal chorus.

“Church Bells (Little Zion)” is a rousing, gospel-flavored production number. A large chorus supports Robinson while the band chugs along, offering solid support. Appealing, simple organ licks and stabs of brass punctuate the arrangement. “Watermelon Girl” has a Caribbean-meets-Hawaiian musical character, with slack guitar and steel drums. Even among this short set of HeavyDrunk tunes, it’s an outlier. But it’s a nice one.

>The breezy and subtle “You Make Me Want To” is a showcase for HeavyDrunk’s vocal prowess. The instrumental accompaniment is low-key, laying the groundwork for the vocal but staying well out of its way. Yet again, the vocal accompaniment is a strong asset. Much heavier is “Better Worser Too,” a lowdown, meanicing blues with a gravelly vocal and some big, bad horn charts. The tune even folds in a bit of the unexpected, in the form of wah-wah guitar. Fresh is a funky set closer, deftly bringing together all of the supportive ingredients that make HeavyDrunk’s songs as effective as they are: those female vocals, those horns, the tight arrangements.

Watermelon Slim’s offerings are, by their very nature, a more rough-hewn collection. The first is a loping countrified blues, “Little Bighorn.” His slide guitar work is always a treat, though Slim’s distinctive vocals may not be for all tastes. An acoustic take of the same song has a different production aesthetic, giving the reading a more audio verité feel.

“Slim’s Road Food & Cheap Motels” is something of a rocker, with an arrangement that fits its character. Australia is a love-it-or-hate it tune: featuring only hand claps, foot stomps and Watermelon Slim’s voice (and harmonica solo), the song has all the hallmarks of a field recording, albeit with studio production values. A field holler, “Australia” does underscore Slim’s undeniably impressive ability to sing in tune, unaccompanied.