Jeff Turmes, “Five Horses, Four Riders” (Fat Head Records, 2010)
Reviewed by Abu Ramses – ALL TRACKS FCC CLEAN

Singer-songwriter Turmes. Mostly acoustic blues with some folk and ballads. Many have haunting lyrics and sound effects. Instrumentation includes guitars, banjos, trumpet, cymbal, cello.

I like track 1 best. Other good ones: 4, 6, 12, 13

Tracks
1. Something Must of Happened - hard driving, urban, electric blues: 3:07
2. Honey Man – slow blues, subterranean drug theme: 2:27
3. Give Satan a Chance – mid-tempo. Turmes on banjo with ghostly electric backup: 3:23
4. Five Horses, Four Riders – mid-tempo ballad w/ solo acoustic guitar: 4:43
5. Don't the Moon Look Real – mid tempo, walking bass, electric riffs: 2:52
6. Turn Your Heart in My Direction – slow w/ electric arpeggios and Steve Huffsteter’s smooth, jazzy trumpet backup: 3:42
7. Weeds Like Us- Turmes on banjo and dumpster (!?). Cello at end: 2:33
8. Hew to the Roadside – 12 bar blues style, baritone sax: 3:21
9. Jack-a-hammer – gritty, hard knocks song. Not my fave: 3:00
10. Loser's History – Mid-tempo. Turmes on banjo w/ violin & cello backup. “If you ain’t got the greenback, you lose your place in line”: 3:42
11. God Came Down From Heaven – slow ballad w/ accordion: 2:33
12. When My Baby Wakes Up – toe tapping rhythm w/ baritone sax backup: 3:26
13. Iron City – composed on a rainy night in a Pittsburgh hotel room. All- instrumental. Great solo acoustic guitar. Slow, sad, and mournful: 2:25