Combining swampy blues and alt country with a vocal style and quality that suggests a Mark Knopfler meets Willie Nelson ambiance is San Francisco’s singer /songwriter Jeffrey Halford and the Healers. Halford’s “Railbirds” cd is a true testament to the days of when genuine troubadours hunkered down on street corners to sing their life stories vs. the rhyming game so often played by those with less conviction.
More of singing poet than an overly produced crooner, Halford has put together a gripping collection of rootsy rhythms that are inimitable in their composition and idiosyncratic in their delivery. Backed by Rich “Richie” Goldstein on guitar, Paul Olguin- on bass, Trey Sabatelli and Jim Norris on drums – the band compliments Halford’s lyricism without clouding the delivery.
Standout tunes include “South of Bakersfield” , “Halfway Gone” and the title track “Railbirds”
At 14 tracks, there’s a whole lot of Halford but you won’t mind.
4 stars
