Summer is almost officially here - the temperatures are soaring, the iced tea is being made, everyone is flocking to the beach, and the evenings are humid and hot. Nothing says summer to me more than blues, and this album is going to be your jam until September.
The first track, "The Worst is Yet to Come," is a relatable tune that you immediately want to sing along to. The harmonica riffs seem to pay tribute to the origins of blues, right alongside the injection of dixieland banjo. You'll be playing this on repeat while you drive down the highway, windows open and jamming while people in the next lane look at you like you're a few sandwiches short of a picnic. Just turn the music up so they can hear - they'll be singing along by the next mile marker.
"Do it Right" is a sweet song that you'll immediately fall in love with. "This time around, I'm gonna do it right." It rings of new love, running around in fields, looking at stars while you hold hands, drive in movie theatres, sharing an ice cream cone, or running through the waves at the beach. It's sweet, but not saccharine, and Keb' Mo's musical stylings are perfectly in line with summer love (but not "Summer Lovin'," which is a different genre entirely and involves Olivia Newton John and John Travolta before he was a Scientologist).
"Move" has a groove that will make you want to dance around in your underwear, even if it is about getting evicted. That's the magic of this album - it's blues, but wont leave you in despair over your problems (at least, I hope not. It didn't for me, but maybe that's because "Immigration: Waiting for That Residency" doesn't really seem like something that would groove). The bass line is simple but incredibly effective - it creates urgency for "Move" without straying from the borders of what makes a great blues jam.
The quintessential blues jam is present in "That's Alright," a song about his cheating wife and his apparent nonchalance about her sleeping with another man. "I know you got another man but baby that's alright." This tune seems to pay homage to Robert Johnson, the father of blues.
The dixieland feel of "Old Me Better" is amazing and you will love it from first listen. "I liked the old me better - I was a lot more fun." This is a fun breakup song that wont end with you eating ice cream out of the carton with a spoon, wearing a snuggie.
"More for Your Money" has some sweet guitar picking that can't help but make you think of citronella candles and ice cold beer from the cooler. Who doesn't love sitting around with their friends, complaining about the government and inflation, while you neck a Budweiser and slap away soem mosquitos?
Keb' Mo' really delivers with Bluesamericana - he created an album of perfect summer jams, perfect for new love, breakups, long drives, and more. Instead of changing the radio station every 5 seconds, looking for something good, pop in this album. It will make your summer experience - trust me.
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