Slow Down
Guitarist and vocalist Keb' Mo' seems to be continuing in the direction suggested by his previous album,Just Like You, with this release. That is to say, mixed in with the country-blues style that dominated his self-titled debut are elements of soul, R&B;, and rock (the opening "Muddy Water" sounds, in Keb' Mo's hands, a great deal like the Rolling Stones' "Honky Tonk Woman"). When this works, as it does onSlow Down's title track, it works very, very well. Some of the ballads, though, sound a little bland, and when the album returns to the tight, rock-inflected "Soon As I Get Paid" or the funky "A Letter to Tracy," it's refreshing. The real treats, however, come late in the album. With "Love in Vain" and "God Trying to Get Your Attention," Mo' gets down to the roots, and the sheer simplicity of the closing "I'm Telling You Now" is nothing short of beautiful, allowing Mo's considerable talent as a singer and guitarist to shine through. --Genevieve Williams