Cedric Burnside & Lightnin' Malcolm
(Delta Groove Music)
Considering Burnside's striking pedigree - the son of Mississippi blues drumming great Calvin Jackson and the grandson of Hill Country legend R.L. Burnside - expectations for 2 Man Wrecking Crew were high, and the album does not disappoint. Burnside and Malcolm can dance the greasy Delta hipshake with the best of 'em, throwing in a few moves that are probably deemed illegal in many counties across the Southeast U.S. This is the pair's second album together, and it displays a chemistry forged in the fires of live performances and hot Mississippi nights.
2 Man Wrecking Crew opens with a tribute to Cedric's grandpa, a heartfelt recognition of R.L.'s influence and guiding hand, the lyrics set to a funky syncopated beat and fiery fretwork. Burnside lays down throaty talking-blues styled vox and a rough-drawn rhythm on top of Lightnin' Malcolm's menacing slideplay, the guitarist cranking out pure-D bottleneck blues slicker than an alligator hide and meaner than ol' Ma 'Gator herself. "My Sweetheart" combines slick Memphis soul with raw North Mississippi garage-blues, featuring droning six-string riffs nailed to an infectious beat.
The rattlesnake charm of "Fightin'" can be found in its gang-stomp rhythms and staggered, drunken guitar notes while "She's Got Something On Me" is a modern-day country blues number with Burnside picking up the geetar and pickin' out a fine tune while Malcolm keeps the beats, and old family friend Jason Ricci drops by to throw in some timely blasts of harp. The swaggering molten guitarplay swirling throughout "World Full Of Trouble" is straight outta the Robert Johnson playbook as Cedric's vocals channel his granddaddy, complete with ass pocket full of whiskey and a heart full of pain.
And so on...the blueprint for 2 Man Wrecking Crew is written on parchment as old as the blues itself. Cedric Burnside and Lightnin' Malcolm have created a fusion of soul, funk, and hip-hop that uses the hypnotic mind-meld of the elder Burnside and his pal Junior Kimbrough as its foundation. The young Burnside's kitwork is robust, his drumbeats shooting off the four walls with juke-joint precision. Malcolm's guitar is fluid and nasty, purring like a wildcat one moment, roaring like an out-of-tune Harley the next. Together, they update the ancient Mississippi blues sound of their forebears with new blood and fire.
Somewhere, the ghosts of the Delta are smiling, stomping their feet in approval....
Standout Tracks: "R.L. Burnside," "She's Got Something On Me" REV. KEITH A. GORDON
