Although credited to the New Zealand band, the five-track Last Train Blues is actually the group’s charismatic PM, Ingrid Saker, going it alone in a Melbourne studio with backbenchers—aka friends—Alex St. John (slide guitar) and Dan Kellierup (bass, percussion) lending a hand here and there. It’s a mix of the acoustic and electric blues, essentially, with Saker’s raspy vocals proving as compelling as her guitar.
Saker, for those unfamiliar with her, is an amazing guitarist and songwriter who simultaneously conjures and exorcises her influences. Boofhead, her last album with her band, mixes Hendrix, grunge, punk and New Wave into a tasty dish that’s best served loud. Last Train Blues, on the other hand, features a stripped-down approach that echoes ages long ago; it’s akin to a lost treasure discovered in the dusty racks of a musty second-hand record store.
Fans of Grace Bowers and/or Muireann Bradley are sure to enjoy it. Bowers makes like Jackson Pollack on her remarkable debut, of course, splaying Sly and Santana hues onto her aural canvas, while Bradley paints the acoustic blues on hers. Last Train Blues, for its part, contains a multitude of colors; some may say they’re blue and black, others will claim white and gold, but all one really needs to know is that, color perception aside, the result is mesmerizing.
The Old Grey Cat 
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