Rock’s hardest working – and most frequently evolving – band are back. The Dead Daisies, ever the revolving door of top-tier musicianship, have returned with Lookin’ For Trouble, their second full-length covers album. This time, though, they’ve swapped classic rock for classic blues, and the result is a riotous, riff-heavy celebration of the genre’s finest standards.
They open with Willie Dixon’s “I’m Ready” – and let’s be honest, they were born ready. It’s loud, loose, and gloriously fun. The kind of track that reminds you not to overthink rock ’n’ roll – just turn it up and enjoy the ride.
“Going Down” has been covered by almost everyone with a guitar and a set of lungs, but there’s something particularly muscular and unrelenting about the way the Daisies attack it. It’s like they’ve been holding this one in reserve for years, waiting to unleash it.
John Corabi’s voice was never meant to impersonate wizened old bluesmen – and wisely, he doesn’t try. On tracks like “Boom Boom,” he leans into the band’s rock ’n’ roll swagger, letting the bluesy grit live in the grooves rather than the growl.
There’s a moment on “Black Betty” – when the harmonica kicks in – that’s worth the album download alone. It takes a song you’ve heard a thousand times and finds a new angle: raw, raucous, and full of strut.
Elsewhere, “The Thrill Is Gone” gives Doug Aldrich the space to remind everyone exactly how good he is. It’s a slow, soulful showcase of finesse and feel, proving the Daisies can do restraint as well as they do raunch.
The tracklist is mostly made up of staples: “Born Under A Bad Sign,” “Crossroads,” and more. But the way they tear through these familiar tunes with slide guitar fury and bar-band bravado makes the old feel fresh. Their version of “Sweet Home Chicago” positively radiates joy – you can almost see the smiles in the studio.
“Walking The Dog” slinks by with some brilliantly filthy piano, while “Little Red Rooster” sounds as grubby and groovy as it ever has. It’s a reminder that when The Dead Daisies decide to get down and dirty, no one does it better.
Is Lookin’ For Trouble going to change your life? Probably not. Is it going to change The Dead Daisies? Definitely not. But that’s missing the point. This is 36 minutes of unapologetic fun from a band that knows exactly who they are and why they’re here.
And right now? That’s more than enough.
Rating 8/10
