GRAMMY Award-winning singer-songwriter Cedric Burnside is a prime example of why I hate genre labels. Or put another way, why I believe there are only two sorts of music, good and bad.
On one hand, he’ll get lumped in with “the blues”, but on the other, there’s something way more primal and dark going on here.
Opener “I Know” is a window into his world. Boiling the thing down to its roots, while someone toots on a harp.
There’s a soul here, the title track has that covered, while “Juke Joint” rather evokes the feeling of those very early troubadours.
And “troubadour” is a good enough word to describe Burnside. “I’ve been travelling my whole life,” he said, and adds that this album was the chance to show the world how things get done in Mississippi.
Evidently that’s short, sharp and with a real energy. There are 14 songs here and they are fired out in quick-fire fashion. On one hand this as about as far removed from punk rock as you can get, but on the other the ethos is the same.
“Smile” is very much a product of that, and it is said that the record (produced with Luther Dickerson) was cut in two days. What a weekend that must have been!
There’s a fair dose of gospel here as you might expect – “Closer” for example – but mostly this just seems to celebrate life. There’s a classic rumble to “Love You Music” (and its clearly reciprocated as the music adores him back) but its striking just how little fat there is here.
Immediacy is the name of the game. “Strong” is less than two minutes long, “Funky” is well named, as if you were going to shake your hips to one of these, its this one.
There’s a moment of poignancy at the end too, as Cedric – the grandson of R.L – covers “Po Black Mattie” and does a wonderful job with it too.
The history alone says that it’s a tough gig to go into this type of music with a name like this. However, it’s kind of the family business, right?
And on “Hill Country Love”, the flame is very much alive, and business – and the music – is good.
Rating 8/10
