D’Kieran Harrell clearly loves his work. With every exuberant turn of phrase, and each sharp guitar lick, the Louisiana-born showman displays a pure joy in performing that’s hard to resist. Intended for both blues purists and fans of a broader range of roots styles, his stellar sophomore album, Talkin’ Heavy, combines all manner of sounds in one supremely satisfying package.
Between his robust yet relaxed singing and fluid yet piercing fretwork, it’s easy to tell Harrell is a B.B. King disciple. But this freewheeling youngster is no nostalgia act. Diversifying the big band blues that lit up the R&B charts back in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Harrell incorporates elements of soul, riding a Stax-like groove in the rousing “Good Man,” flirts with disco in the breezy “PTLD” (post-traumatic love disorder), and struts on “Grown Now,” announcing cheerfully, “They used to call me green / Now I’m the king on the scene,” and comparing himself to Al Capone.
