Lea McIntosh - Blood Cash (2021)

McIntosh’s debut album comes on like a great force, grabbing you with its fantastic opening track and not letting go. There is a lot of power in her blues, even defiance, and yet within that you sense something vulnerable. There is an ache, a pain, perhaps even some lingering fear, and it is that dynamic that makes this album so compelling. She has emerged triumphant, in a sense, from these troubles, and yet her music recounts them in a way that makes them still present. Blood Cash features all original music, written by Lea McIntosh and Travis Cruse. Cruse also produced the album and plays guitar on every track. Also joining Lea McIntosh on this release are Myron Dove on bass, Deszon Claiborne on drums, Eamonn Flynn on piano and organ, Andy Just on harmonica, and Tammi Brown and Will Bell on backing vocals. (By the way, you can also hear Travis Cruse and Tammi Brown on the new album from Steven Graves.) Lea McIntosh is based in the Santa Cruz area, and before turning to her passion for music, she made her mark as a chef. Now fully committed to music, she plans on touring as soon as it is safe to do so, so keep an eye out for her. There is also apparently a second album already in the works.

Blood Cash opens with its title track, which is driven by her vocals, which are raw, mean, honest. “He paid the devil forward/Bang bang/Pulling back that trigger/He paid him cold hard cash/Bang bang/Pulling back that trigger.” Supporting that voice is a pounding rhythm and some seriously delicious guitar work. In addition to guitar, Travis Cruse plays bass and drums on this track. And then that harmonica comes in, seeming to wrap itself around your body like a lasso or snake, pulling you farther in. This song is about the murder of Lea’s mother, which happened when Lea was a child. “Blood Cash” is followed by “Blue Stoned Heart,” which has a funky edge, not just in that rhythm, but in that guitar work. Check out these great, descriptive lyrics: “You’ve got a map running down your arm/Telling you it’s time for more/Your veins burn that midnight oil/While your heart plays tug-o-war.” Her voice changes as she repeats “Please don’t make me watch you tearing apart,” a heartfelt plea. “Please don’t make me bury your blue stoned heart.” The trouble here is nearly palpable, and we feel we are witnessing what she is witnessing. Partly it is in those details and partly in her delivery. And then halfway through there is an interesting instrumental section, featuring some good percussion and a lead on guitar that kind of sneaks up on you, easing its way inside until it has you.

“Tennessee Hurricane” is about another dangerous situation, with a man who seems to be headed for a hard end, and might very well try to take her along with him. “He pulls me in his rain/While he drowns out his pain/Blowing through bottles of whisky/He’s got no one left to blame.” This is a powerful song, and that guitar part in the second half is like another voice. That’s followed by “Fantasy Woman,” a groovy blues tune featuring a rather seductive vocal performance. “That look on your face keeps telling me/You’ve got a fantasy woman on your mind/I can’t stop wishing it was me/If only it was the two of us lying in your dreams.” A greater portion of our lives seems to be carried out inside our minds, in our fantasies, and with social media and online dating often taking the place of in-person meetings, the line between reality and fantasy is blurred more than ever. Anyway, I dig that lead on organ.

“Purple Suede Boots” is a fun song about a night of settling scores and taking charge of her own life, making things right. And what better way than “Letting my love run loose/Rocking purple suede boots”? And listen to the way that harmonica responds. Wonderful! Plus, this track features some great and expressive work on guitar toward the end. Then “Soul Stripper” eases in, with some cool work on keys before Lea McIntosh comes in, taking on the role of a stripper. “If it’s sad stories you crave, then let your hungry fingers turn my page.” There is something sexy about this song, particularly in the power and attitude of her vocals. And I love the way that guitar lead kind of sneaks in, almost like a voyeur lurking about, and then, aroused, suddenly asserts itself. This track is something special. The album then concludes with “The Fire Is Coming.” When this one begins, it feels more like a dance song, like a disco if suddenly the blues were to take over the place and drive everyone into a slightly altered space. It is funky, sincere, and excellent, with a late 1960s sound at times. “I see your shadow when I close my eyes/Hunting down memories like a tiger in the night.”