Blue is back with another album of swamp-bucket blues with howling vocals, following his similar moonshine LP,
Something Borrowed Something. Only this time it's an acoustic blues duo with Joel Ludwig, former bassist for Blue's live band, Blue & the Jaded, entitled
Booze Monkey. But you still imagine these Winchester, VA, cats playing down on the Louisiana bayou, dodging the alligators on the way to the gig on someone's front porch or to the Louisiana Hayride, opening for
Elvis or
Junior Parker circa 1955 Sun days. The busy bass and insistent acoustic keep things lively, but it's Blue's jarring voice and gonzo singing that make their mark, a distant cousin of
the Cramps' Lux Interior. Check out "Cats Are Rockin'." They are indeed! Best lyric: "You're a jawbreaker baby/And I'm your everlasting sucker." Ha! ~ Jack Rabid