Flying Saucer Blues
In the afterglow of the introspectiveFull Service, No Waiting, Peter Case turns to sweaty, ribald blues to send his songs spinning and sailing. Backed by a tight acoustic ensemble featuring roots all-stars like Greg Leisz on everything with strings andDon Heffingtonon percussion, Case has a blast tapping into country gospel, jazzy swing, horn-driven soul, and the blues of unplugged juke joints from Clarksdale to Chicago. His harmonica runs wild, his gravel-and-grace voice thrills, and his songs are as hummable and thoughtful as ever. "I been in lost in the palace, lost in the slums," he sings, "Since I got lost in her eyes I've been begging for crumbs." It's the kind of record we've come to expect from Case: poignant and witty, full of the sting and liberating spirit of the blues.--Roy Kasten