Northern Irish guitar maestro Joe Hodgson makes a powerful return with his double-sided release, ‘Since You Had A Hold On Me / Stick Or Twist‘, reaffirming his reputation as a fearless sonic storyteller. Emerging from Ballymagorry, County Tyrone, Hodgson’s artistry blends the raw emotion of his rural roots with the experience gained from decades on European stages and studios. Following the success of his 2020 solo album Apparitions, this release reveals a matured voice that speaks fluently in smouldering balladry and high-voltage instrumentalism.
The opening track, ‘Since You Had A Hold On Me‘, is a slow-burning groove drenched in bluesy emotion. Featuring the evocative, gravel-kissed vocals of Glen Harkin, the song carries a weighty, after-hours mood. Hodgson’s guitar work is restrained yet expressive, weaving through the arrangement like smoke curling in a low-lit bar. His tone is warm, intimate, delivering feeling over flash. There’s a lived-in quality here, as if every note has passed through the filter of heartbreak and healing. Together, Harkin’s voice and Hodgson’s strings conjure a space where longing lingers and memory never quite fades.
On the flip side, ‘Stick Or Twist‘ shifts gears dramatically, erupting into a vibrant, funk-fueled instrumental that celebrates musical liberation. With an infectious rhythm section and playful melodic turns, Hodgson lets loose, navigating grooves that nod to ska, jazz-rock, and retro dance-floor funk. The track is a whirlwind of sonic textures, driven by precision and spontaneity in measure. It’s as if Hodgson invited the listener to ride shotgun on a wild musical detour with no map, just pure instinct and joy. While vastly different from the A-side, it feels like a necessary release of tension, exuberant and electrifying.
What connects these two disparate tracks is Hodgson’s distinct guitar voice of versatile, expressive, and completely immersive. Whether he’s sketching quiet sadness or erupting into Technicolour grooves, a clarity to his musical identity shines through. He plays and converses with the guitar, allowing it to speak with nuance and emotion. And with the addition of Glen Harkin’s commanding vocal performance on the first track, the collaboration feels less like a feature and more like a perfect pairing of two artists locked into the same emotional wavelength.
‘Since You Had A Hold On Me / Stick Or Twist‘ showcases Joe Hodgson’s virtuosity and ability to craft songs that connect deeply across moods and genres. This release is a compelling snapshot of an artist who’s always evolving but never straying from the emotional core that defines his work. For listeners who crave authenticity with edge and melodies that move body and soul, this demands attention and rewards every second.
Connect with Joe Hodgson on Spotify.