Crystal-clear, up-tempo vocals, a tight, in-the-pocket band, and sweet, rich guitar licks that only a Les Paul can provide combine to give us one of the finest blues albums in recent years. The influence of B. B. King is unmistakable, but the Hill Mob is no cover band. Hill performs mostly original material in a frontal assault on the psyche that will quickly subdue the listener into a smoke-filled-room, whiskey-drenched blue funk.
Good blues, while soaked in despair, lifts the spirit up in a rush of emotional release. This CD wrings the sweat out of the soul and hangs it out to dry. Alligator Records, Box 60234, Chicago, IL 60660; http://www.alligator.com
