Ruben Bertrands is known for his bluesy musical style and harmonica playing, both of which are present on his upcoming album The Other Side of the Coin. Bertrands began playing harmonica when he was 21 years old, working at Belgium’s oldest independent radio station, Radio Scorpio. He hosted a weekly show called “Bluesapalooza.” During 2020-2021, he released two albums, and The Other Side of the Coin will be released in September 2024.
The album begins with an upbeat song called “Jumpin’ Turnstiles” which features sound effects such as people talking. This combined with noises similar to a plane or train gives the song a feeling of being played live while people are traveling. The song also includes bluesy guitar riffs that are carried on throughout the rest of the album, on tracks such as the next song on the album, “Goin’ Down Slow.”
The song “Big Wave” leans more into the country genre than the previous two tracks, with the slide guitar and harmonica both having prominent roles. Bertrands’ voice shines through as he sings “I wanna roam but I can’t do it alone,” and the catchy riff provides the perfect sound for the lyrics to gain traction.
Bertrands uses more sound effects on the track “The Tombs,” which begins with the sound of a train and furthers the concept of traveling present on The Other Side of the Coin. This song also features a harmonica solo throughout most of it, which really showcases Bertrands’ musical abilities and understanding of blues, as well as the next two tracks on the album, “Aunt Mimi’s Off Her Meds” and “Cafe De Levante.” Both of these tracks are instrumental, bluesy, fun, and bouncy.
Bertrands truly shows off his vocal abilities on the seventh track, “Revue.” This song has a very sultry and jazzy feel to it, partly due to the piano break and the loose drum beat, both of which make you want to nod your head along to the music. The final two songs on the album, “Belle Of The Bog” and “Second Line Fever” also have a similar, groovy feeling to them. “Belle Of The Bog” features smooth backing vocals that lift up Bertrands’ voice, jazzy percussion featuring cowbell, funky piano that’s almost danceable, and another piano solo that really drives home the upbeat tone of the song. “Second Line Fever” is definitely a song to clap and stomp along to. The lyrics in this song ring true, as Bertrands repeats “Time to boogie down” while the piano plays a tune that’s hard not to dance to, and he continues with “When I get to Heaven, I’m gonna jump and shout.”
The Other Side of the Coin proves yet again that Ruben Bertrands’ harmonica playing and deep knowledge of the music create a perfect harmony between blues, country, and jazz.
Written by Katie Squires