She once pulled a harpoon out of her dirty red bandana, played it softly while Bobby sang the blues. Years later, Canadian vocalist and harmonica virtuoso Shawn Hall took Janis’s lyrics for his nom-de-plume: The Harpoonist. It’s a fitting name as “feelin’ good [is] easy” when it comes to Hall’s debut solo album, Did We Come Here to Dance.
Scheduled for release on October 4, 2024 via Tonic Records, the album is Hall’s first following a 17-year partnership with Matt Rogers, the other half of the duo The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer. Consisting of eight original songs, as well as a cover of Fred Eaglesmith’s “Trucker Speed,” Did We Come Here to Dance is an eclectic and playful mix of blues, jazz, soul and funk.
Produced by Big Sugar’s Gordie Johnson and recorded over 10 days at his ranch overlooking Dripping Springs, Texas, the album opens with “Good People,” a slow lament over Hall’s harmonica in which he asks whether we came here to dance or whether we came here to die? The answer is “dance” and it begins on the “Heartbreak Autobahn,” a Cajun-influenced stomp that follows the lead track. The groove continues on “Acrobatic,” a mishmash of lyrics that your mind will have difficulty deciphering, but your body won’t care as it begs to be released to shuffle down the street.
“I May Not Have It Together” and “Lullabye Life” each keep the tempo up and the feet moving before Hall rolls out “Show Me The Green,” a gritty blues number that highlights the album. “Yusef Lateef” is a beautiful tribute to the American jazz multi-instrumentalist while Hall’s harmonica guides the tale of “Scrapper” who was “consumed and bruised by the weekend.”
Fusing Hall’s straightforward musical influences and stellar harp with quirky lyrics and often ethereal effects, Did We Come Here to Dance is a delightfully original and fun album. “Feel good” music perhaps describes it best, but feelin’ good is always good enough for me.
“Good People” and “Show Me The Green” are the first two singles from the album and are currently available on all streaming platforms.
