Blue Light

Jimbo Mathus always fancied himself as a bit of a throwback to bygone eras, ever since forming the retro-swing band Squirrel Nut Zippers in 1993. Ever since that band's split, Mathus has pursued a dirty, grittier path, delving deep into the Delta blues and playing regularly with such modern blues stalwarts as Luther Dickinson and Alvin Youngblood Hart. All this has been evident on the albums he's cut over the last decade or so, but 2012's Blue Light EP feels like his rawest record, a nice bit of gutbucket blues sleaze tempered by a little earthy country (the closing "Burn the Honky Tonk"). As important as the songs -- which are good, ramshackle roots and blues tunes -- is the feel of Blue Light, as this is decidedly a record where groove and feel are paramount. Mathus doesn't specialize in one single sound: this is a Southern jukebox on shuffle, bouncing between swamp-pop, Stax grooves, and slow smoky soul, echoes of Sir Douglas Quintet vying with CCR riffs. It may just be a brief EP but the variety on Blue Light does capture Jimbo Mathus' expansive world view, and it's a hell of a good time to boot. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine