This roots rocker shows his influences without being held back by them. This guitar-driven disc at times displays a wide variety of influences -- from
Albert King to
Dylan, early
Carl Perkins to
Jerry Reed -- sometimes in one song. It is a melting pot of eclecticism as far as the songwriting and guitar playing is concerned. His tunes carry much of that twang that is associated with hillbilly rock & roll, but it comes across through a filter of the '60s/'70s music scene that was percolating just under the horizon of FM music. He wrote or co-wrote all the tunes on this disc and each one is a good fit. He has the nasally vocals and the jangly guitars that sell each song as part of the whole. He has a variety of tunes, from the rocker that opens the disc, "Love Is the Only Rescue," through the funky "Muddy Water Under the Bridge," and there are some heartbreak pieces and a few that just won't fit any category. He also has some great help on this disc, including
Allison Moorer,
Richard Bennett, and
Jimmy Hall. This is a strong disc that rips into each new song with a strong ferocity that brings the song home. You should hear more from
John Bunzow in the future. ~ Bob Gottlieb