Album Review: Tom Hambridge – Down the Hatch

Tom Hambridge is a highly respected figure for his work as producer and songwriter. His production credits include work with a wide array of blues and blues-adjacent artists including Johnny Winter, Buddy Guy, James Cotton, Mike Zito, Kenny Neal and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. As a songwriter, Hambridge has written for Susan Tedeschi, NRBQ, George Thorogood, Shemekia Copeland, Keb’ Mo’, Joe Bonamassa and countless others. He’s played on many of those and other artists’ albums as well, and has racked up at least seven Grammy Award nominations, two of those wins. Active in most every phase of the music business, he’s a Renaissance man with an impeccable pedigree.

Alongside all of those activities, he has somehow found the time to release albums under his own name. 1995’s Still Running was his solo debut; the newly-released Down the Hatch is his ninth and latest offering. Not at all surprisingly, all of the album’s twelve songs are written or co-written by Hambridge, who also produced the album, played drums on every track, and sang on the majority of them.

Hambridge’s work as musician, composer and producer is by no means limited to the blues; he’s worked on many successful and well-regarded mainstream rock, country and pop projects. But for Down the Hatch, he has turned his attention back in the direction of – if not always squarely upon – the blues form.

The fiery Willie Dixon’s “Gone” feels like a George Thorogood tune, so it’s no surprise to learn that the Delaware guitarist has a co-credit (though Thorogood doesn’t play on the track). Despite its familiar-sounding title, “Every Time I Sing the Blues” is a Hambridge original, delivered with simmering, understated passion and tasty electric piano at its foundation.

The chugging “I Want You Bad” leans heavily into the Chicago electric blues style with appealing results. “How Blues is That” is heavy in a sort of Muddy Waters meets ZZ Top style. Subtlety is key to the success of the smoky “Hard Times.” “What Does That Tell You” has an early rock ‘n’ roll feel. Hambridge gets dreamy and laid back on the sultry “Believe These Blues”; the tune features some of the best lead guitar work (courtesy of Rob McNelly) on Down the Hatch.

The supercharged blues of “Making Lemonade” is just right for boot-scootin’, and its judicious use of accordion adds a splash of zydeco to the track. Tom Bukovac’s slide guitar solo makes the fun tune even better. The thumping “What Might Have Been” adds a bit of country vibe – plus some nice Leslie-fied guitar picking and a lovely Wurlitzer solo – to an accessible tune.

Hambridge and his players hit hard on the instrumental “You Gotta Go Through St. Louis,” combining a jump blues feel with traditional rock ‘n’ roll style. Kevin McKendree’s rollicking piano work is a highlight, as is Buddy Guy’s always-thrilling guitar. Things are toned down for the playful porchfest of “Start Drinking Early Day.” “I Wanna Know You” could be the album’s mainstream single, with a feel reminiscent of the Traveling Wilburys. It’s good to know that even though the busy Hambridge is a prolific writer, he still comes up with plenty of solid material for records like Down the Hatch.