Tijuana Bible

Among the things guitarist likely learned from his occasional boss is that three chords and a ton of sweat can get you pretty far in the blues-boogie business. On 's fifth album, he plows through riffs that anyone with a or album will recognize. And even if the songs aren't going to redefine the genre, they are more than just skeletons on which to hang hot guitar licks and a tough, swampy groove. Credit veteran blues-rock producer for bulking up the sound without cluttering it. On the beat is pushed pedal to the metal like as solos over a driving rhythm section. The guitarist rips a page from the songbook on bringing a -styled ballad to the mix as guests on guitar. 's overdubbed saxes blow soul into the mix on the slow blues uses his slide to slashing effect. gets his slow funk groove on for the tribute another tune where his slide gets a greasy workout. The 16 tracks are dominated by 13 originals and tough, fully realized covers from (a stomping ), (a sufficiently explosive ), and , who even contributes slide guitar to an appropriately loose version of his -approved slow blues Tunes such as (perhaps a bit too indebted lyrically to 's (built around a patented / lick), and are as gritty and rollicking as their titles imply. The piano-heavy closing ballad is pleasant enough but seems oddly out of place, as if grafted from an old album. Regardless, fills nearly 70 minutes with quality barroom rock, nearly as potent as that of his obvious influences, which will liven up any Americana party. ~ Hal Horowitz