Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

The seventh studio release from Jimmie Bratcher sees the Kansas City-based bluesman once again team up with Grammy-winning producer Jim Gaines to deliver a quality blues album with more than a nod to Bratcher's musical past thanks to the nostalgia of the infectious "57" and an augmented cover of the Nashville Teens' oldie penned by John D Loudermilk, "Tobacco Road". Elsewhere, Bratcher's credentials as one of the blues world's more accomplished yet underrated blues vocalists is reflected in the likes of the upbeat "Feels Like Friday" and the fun "I Can't Shake That Thing" whilst classy blues guitar licks abound in the west coast exposé "Check Your Blues At The Door". Although there are less faith references than perhaps in previous releases, Bratcher does get deep and meaningful in tracks such as "It Just Feels Right" and the old Associations number "Never My Love" before going to the other extreme in the lightweight "Bologna Sandwich Man" - complete with some bizarrely lazy rhyming. As this release testifies, Bratcher is most at home somewhere in between these two extremes making this yet another excellent offering from a bluesman whose fame will hopefully become less of a secret going forward.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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