Artist:     Thorbjorn Risager & The Black Tornado

Album:     Come On In

Label:     Ruf Records

Release Date:     1.31.20

94

BUY DIGITAL

BUY PHYSICAL

Without even a hint of malevolence, a mysterious, well-dressed stranger from Denmark is about to darken America’s doorstep, carrying a guitar and an immaculately packed suitcase of stylish blues perfect for any occasion. The diverse contents of Come On In are carefully arranged and produced to make an immediate impression, whether Thorbjorn Risager & The Black Tornado are projecting the rich, cinematic noir of “On and On” and “Two Lovers” with dark, rippling drama and soft, jazzy horns or engaging in the full-tilt boogie of a jumping, wildly exuberant “Over the Hill.”

And then there’s that distinctive voice, deep and resonant, imbued with the classy soul of Bill Withers and carrying the forceful personality of Blood, Sweat & Tears’ David Clayton-Thomas. There’s undeniable power in Risager’s vocals, but also shifting dynamics and subtlety. Insistent and seductive, “Sin City” is sparse, with soft percussive stomps, like an old, humming Negro spiritual. All the while, Risager unapologetically sings of having his fun with an evangelical preacher’s smoldering intensity. Rising above the motoring funk momentum of the celebratory and inviting title track—think Talking Heads and “Life During Wartime,” minus the modern anxiety—Risager welcomes visitors with devilish glee to what feels like the hottest club in the city. He plays the perfect host.

Elsewhere, the breezy, island vibe of “Nobody but The Moon” offers a sharp contrast to internally tortured lyrics of isolation and secret struggle, as Risager yearns and contorts with sinewy, athletic grace. His presence is omniscient throughout Come On In, with its occasional merry-go-‘rounds of tight, repetitive, acoustic blues guitar groove, like that which ensnares the irresistible intro to “Last Train,” growing stronger and expanding in more captivating ways as it goes on. And if that wasn’t enough, the bluesy, hard-rock of “Love So Fine” stings and slams into overdrive, taking riders on a lively, full-throttle adventure.

Sonically, Come On In sounds clean and dry, making it cool and modern. Like a perfect musical martini, it is as fully realized and exciting as any blues album in recent memory, as the ensemble known as the Black Tornado surreptitiously adds flourishes and colors spaces with warm flugelhorn, trombone and different kinds of saxophone, plus velvety organ and synthesizer and a bag of mixed beats. It’s got some authentic Mississippi Delta mud on its shoes, too. Joy and mystery abound, and the record’s big hooks have a gravitational pull, resulting in earworms that take up residence and refuse to leave. Nobody would want them evicted anyway. Come On In is Thorbjorn Risager & The Black Tornado’s 10^th album, and they’ve played thousands of shows in 21 different countries. Here’s hoping they get a royal welcome in the States and make it a home away from home.

—Peter Lindblad