Brother to the Blues
Louisiana native Tab Benoit has been slinging his swamp-R&B-blues-rock concoction for the better part of 15 years, and from the sound of this disc's opening two tunes, it seems that little besides his backing band has changed. But when the title track kicks in with sorrowful fiddle, crying pedal steel (also played by Benoit), and a lovely, lonely honky-tonk melody, it's clear the singer/guitarist has decided to visit some unique territory. Country stalwarts Jim Lauderdale and Billy Joe Shaver swing by to provide duet vocals for Benoit's versions of their songs. Even Hank Williams Sr.'s "I Heard That Lonesome Whistle" gets covered as Benoit finds the blues at the heart of the country standard. Those who are not county lovers need not be concerned that Benoit has gone all George Jones on them. He still grinds out slabs of tough bayou rocking in the crackling "So High" and the opening "Pack It Up." There's also a heartbreaking, loungey, slow blues ("Somehow") and a soul-seared cover of Sam Cooke's "Bring It on Home to Me" that shows how effective Benoit is as an interpretive vocalist. The funky Little Feat/Neville Brothers-styled "Can't Do One More Two-Step" truly brings it home on a diverse outing that stretches boundaries and adds depth to Benoit's already impressive roots.--Hal Horowitz