Rosa’s Lounge
Howard and the White Boys
Label: 3011 Records
Review Date: October 26, 2014
When it comes to the blues, I’m like a junkie. The dirtier the cut, the greater my musical high. One of my favorite suppliers keeps me well supplied on my musical drug of choice and this is some of the most pure stuff I’ve heard yet.
Hallucinogenic metaphors aside, I’ve got to say that, “Rosa’s Lounge,” by Howard and the White Boys is some of the best new blues I’ve heard in a while. Wow! Wow! Wow! I’ve never heard of them before but I can tell you that, after listening to this disc, I’m a fan for life!
“Rosa’s Lounge” is a ten song live album with one studio song (“That’s Alright”) that is chock full of the kind of blues that I absolutely love. I’m sure that it has a lot to do with the fact that Buddy Guy been their unofficial mentor. How cool is that?
Right out of the chute, the Howard McCullum and his band grabs the crowd (and the listener) by the throat with “Heat Seeking Missle” (one of nine tunes on this disc that McCullum wrote or co-wrote). His vocals and bass playing are like one who has been to the crossroads and made his pact.
The next cut, “Strung Out On The Blues,” (there’s that metaphor, again), is some of the best, new, down and dirty blues you’re going to hear in 2014. Wow! Un-friggin’-believable!
Yeah, it’s that great!
Well, heck! The same can be said for “Trouble Follows You.” The guitar work is nothing short of amazing. I hit the repeat button on this one an uncountable number of times.
Yeah, it’s that great, too!
Believe me when I say that all eleven songs on this album are, on their own merits, worth the entire price of the album. The pleading, “What Should I Do,” the struttin’, “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner” and the classic-sounding (but totally new), “Black Cat” all sound like they’re already blues standards. The same can be said for “The Last Time,” “Walk Away,” “The Blues Are Killin’ Me” and “That’s Alright.”
Because of the stunning, breathtaking quality of this new blues, I just can’t even pretend that I have a favorite because each and every tune blows me away. So, take my word for it: If you love the blues, then buy “Rosa’s Lounge” by Howard and the White Boys.
You can order "Rosa's Lounge" at HowardandtheWhiteBoys.net.