Album Review Rock and Reel magazine Jan/Feb 2009

Riding A Hurricane. Star rating 3/5.
Planting his flag firmly in the territory somewhere between Richard Thompson and Eric Bibb, Mutter Slater returns with a collection of a dozen new songs delivered in his warm blues voice in an organic-feeling acoustic setting. Opening track 'Excuse Me Ma'am' sets rhe tone - Mutter's urgent, yet intimate vocal delivery over his percussive rhythm guitar, a double (sic) bass and unadorned drums - and this groove continues throughout Riding A Hurricane.
By about the fourth song, however, the lack of anything beyond the basic instruments begins to pall a little. Although the songs themselves are of a very high quality and Slater's voice is served well by the aural backdrop, I found myself craving a dash of trumpet counter-melody or an occasional harmonica fill to add some piquancy, some flavour.
When Mutter treats us to some breathy flute, on the coda to the title track, and bassist Chris Lonergan adds subtle bottleneck to 'Triumph Bonneville', they provide some sheen to the production that would be welcome elsewhere. All in all though it's an admirable return to Slater's blues roots. David Innes.