There’s something properly comforting about a record that doesn’t want to be “new” so much as true. On “Barnburners”, Handsome Jack keep it raw and rugged, stitching classic rock, swamp rock and blues together into something that feels seamless without ever getting polished within an inch of its life. It’s roots-rock that remembers the point of the stuff in the first place: feel first, finesse second — and a party somewhere in the middle.
Frontman Jamison Passuite is the star turn, mind you — those soulful vocals land like he’s lived every line, and the guitar work has that rare knack of sounding both effortless and earned. But the real trick is how the Lockport, NY trio move as one: Joey Verdonselli and Bennie Hayes lock in a killer rhythm section, and the backing vocals are more than decoration — they’re part of the shove that keeps the whole thing rolling.
That “effortless blues sound” you clock early? It isn’t just splashed across the (near) title track vibe — it’s basically the record’s bloodstream. When “Tonight We Ride” turns up, though, it flips the mood: there’s something primal and unsettling in there, like the lights have dipped and you’re not totally sure what’s about to happen next (in the best way).
“It’s Only Business” is one of those cuts that feels so steeped in history you half-expect to learn it’s a cover you somehow missed for 30 years. And speaking of covers, they lean into the loose, laid-back spirit with “Polk Salad Annie”, which fits them like a worn-in jacket — no fuss, all feel.
And then there’s the gloriously grimy wink of “Blue Falls Motel”, which is as dirty as blues should be — and if it “charges by the hour”, well… let’s just say the band know exactly what they’re implying and they’re grinning while they do it. Elsewhere, the backing vocals properly elevate “Do It! To It!”, turning it from a good-time rocker into something that sticks.
“I’m Hooked” lives up to its name with a relentless forward pull, “Polly Molly” arrives with a wonderful slice of slide guitar that feels like sunshine through cracked blinds, and “Let’s Go Downtown” knows precisely where the party is — and what goes on there, God knows.
Then, just when you think you’ve got the measure of it, “Ghost Woman” slows the pulse. It’s more soulful, more shadowy, and it lurks rather than lunges — proof that this band can do atmosphere as well as they can boogie.
Handsome Jack have always sounded like they’re plugged directly into the DNA of old-time rock ’n’ roll — rock, R&B, blues, boogie — but “Barnburners” doesn’t cosplay any of it. It just is it. Raw. Familiar. Personal. And, honestly, roots-rock hasn’t sounded this alive in a long time.
RATING: 9/10
