Reviewed by Samuel Parker

Following the highly acclaimed 'Broken' which was given rave reviews in 2008, Eastbourne-based Coomber's latest album had a lot to live up to. 'Phil Coomber & The Red Sea Surfers' is a collection of God-focused blues songs with titles like "Mercy" and "Gettin' Down With Jesus". With harmonica and blues guitar solos interspersed throughout the album, you are constantly reminded that Coomber is intending for this to be a blues collection, however it feels slightly uneasy at times where songs tend to venture away from blues and into genre-limbo. Beginning with the slightly confusing "Skinny Bloke" which mixes blues guitar solos with a funky Rhodes keyboard part in addition to gospel backing vocalists, we eventually find ourselves at the core of the set with "The Healer" based around moody guitar riffs and the much more traditional blues style seen in "Broken Down Engine". Sandwiched between these is "Gettin' Down With Jesus" which is effectively a rewritten version of the famous "Wade In The Water" and the rather cheesy lyrics accompanying a traditional 12 bar blues in "Gospel Train Blues". The album ends with a four and a half minute blues instrumental "The Red Sea Surfers".

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