Even in the times we are living in, where music perhaps is not perceived any longer as an inspiring and a unifying factor for people all over the world like he might have been for the last half a century, there is still the space for miracles, where someone that was effectively homeless, up until to few years ago, it's now tranformed his life, being on the verge to become a global music star.
The story of D'Kieran Harrell, better known as D.K. Harrell, one of the biggest rising stars of Blues and Soul, is quite a singular one, one of those where dreams can still become reality, if you believe hard enough in yourself.
Grown up in Ruston, Louisiana, D.K. was living and dreaming Blues already by the age of 2, in a time of his childhood where B.B. King was the equivalent of a God, in D K.'s young eyes. By the time he was 12, D.K. got his first guitar and age 16, he was already writing his own songs.
Life has never been too tender, as a young boy, for D K.; growing up without a father and starting mastering already his huge vocals by being in a church choir, with time D.K. kept on studying the artistry of B.B. King more and more, whilst also keeping a keen eye on more Blues Pioneers, like Elmore James or Muddy Waters, among many others.
Our website was fortunate enough to review Harrell’s debut album in 2023, called The Right Man, where the then 25-years-old became the talk of the whole Blues industry, thanks to a record that revealed beautifully the great potential of this very gifted artist.
With a new album out now called Talkin' Heavy and released by Alligator Records, Harrell confirms once again to be, deservedly, one of the biggest names of the whole Blues music industry, through an album of breathtaking artistic intensity, where the American guitarist and singer-songwriter's exceptional skills blossom in all their beauty.
The 12 songs included in Talkin' Heavy are a sublime blend of genres, where Harrell flexes his own already strong musical muscles by moving Blues in diverse territories, like Soul, R&B, Funk, Gospel and even Disco, with the confidence and the swagger of a Guitar, Vocal and Songwriter Supremo and still maintaining a distinctive Blues trademark sound.
Produced once again by the great guitarist and renowned producer that is Christoffer “Kid” Andersen, who also produced D.K.’s debut album, Talkin' Heavy delves lyrically into the past and the present of the Louisiana-born artist, alternating moments of reflective (and sometimes very personal) songwriting passages to other where Harrell lets loose on life's little pleasures, as he so well does in songs like Liquor Stores And Legs and Into The Room, for example.
The craft on Harrell’s guitar playing and vocal delivery is astoundingly beautiful; between the superb guitar solos delivered on songs like the album's title-track or Life's Lesson, among others and the extraordinary vocal delivery exuding on songs like Good Man or Vibe With Me, D.K. Harrell is among the very best version of a Bluesman one can ever wish to find anywhere in the world, right now.
D.K. Harrell is back and he is here to stay for a very long time.
Talkin' Heavy is out now and it is available to be purchased via Alligator Records
