I have enjoyed music by these guys since hearing their first album playing in Radar Records in Christchurch. That album, Shake Hands with Shorty, nicely updated the blues of R L Burnside and Junior Kimbrough bringing in hints of hip hop and giving a real feel of new Millennium Blues.
North Mississippi Allstars is essentially a brothers act of Luther and Cody Dickinson. They are the sons of Jim Dickinson a session musician (check out the keyboards on the Stones' Wild Horses) and 70's producer (Big Star's Third).
Since the first album I have checked back in with the band from time to time, usually courtesy of sale bins, but this album seems to just have a little more to it than some of their more recent efforts. They have now been together more than 10 years (as a band) and they sound road tested without being road weary. It is still their modern take on some relatively obscure delta blues songs by the likes of Willie Dixon, Sleepy John Estes and Bukka White. They also do a neat take on Muddy Water's Rollin'n'tumbin. Their hodown is nice and sloppy and Granny Does Your Dog Bite is typically irreverent. Overall you can almost smell the sawdust and bourbon as you play through the album.
Special mention needs to be made of the packaging as well. The double album comes with a gatefold sleeve, large booklet, download card with extra songs and videos and an extra 45 (with Robert Plant on harmonica). Good Value
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