Formed in 1992 by guitarist
Scottie "Mad Dog" Blinn
and drummer
Tom Essa
,
the Mississippi Mudsharks
were favorites on the San Diego
roots rock
scene for over half-a-decade before applying the brakes in 2000, which makes
Train Rolls On
a reunion of sorts. A power trio (
Mike Lars
handles the bass duties) specializing in a kind of
punk blues
driven by
Blinn
's gruff,
Wolfman Jack
-like vocals and blistering slide playing, the
Sharks
open the throttle here on the title track and then never look back, blasting through an impressive set of bluesy voodoo
rock
. Among the highlights are the classic
"Train Rolls On,"
the template for most of what these guys do,
"Throw It in the Hole,"
which sounds like a rocking
Tom Waits
out in front of a top-notch power trio, the spooky and gliding
"Devil's Road,"
given additional eerie atmosphere by guest
Johnny Smokes
' pedal steel playing, and the straight
blues
"Can't Put Down the Drink,"
which shows that
can gear down and play this stuff clean when he chooses to. This is no-nonsense
with pedigree and attitude, but filled too with subtle variety and flashes of humor, and it shows an intelligent band with clear purpose behind all the bluster and power. ~ Steve Leggett