Mississippi guitarist/vocalist Dave Thompson returns to recording with a bang after a six-year hiatus. In 1996 he burst onto the scene with his Fat Possum debut, then quickly disappeared. Now he's re-emerged with a 14 song slab of modern, original soul-blues that are remarkable mature for a player under 35. His visceral, unvarnished music exude swagger, and there's plenty of variety: shuffles, slow blues, junk, Southern strollers, and even a light jazz instrumental.
It's hard to pick favorites, but grabbers include "Standin' In The Rain." Reminiscent of early Robert Cray; the smoky, low-key funk plea "Caught Up in a Crossfire"; the fiery stop-time shuffle "Strung Out"; and two Southern soul duets with fellow JSP labelmate Mary Taylor: the Memphis stroller We Can Make It If We Try" and the loping Tyrone Davis-style dancer "My Baby Won't Change" (both penned by producer/saxist Bruce Fiener). The most anomalous track is "Cuttin' Loose," an instrumental in the style of George Benson or Phil Upchurch, while the slow-burn title track pas tribute to some to Thompson's fellow Mississippi bluesmen past and present and to the city of Greenville.
