Editorial Reviews

Cedric Burnside, the drummer whose grandfather was the northern Mississippi blues legend R.L. Burnside, and Lightnin' Malcolm, a guitarist equally informed by hill country and Texas blues, indeed make a formidable duo. Their stripped down sound -- the pair trade vocals and are accompanied only by an occasional harmonica and the vocal duo of Beka Bramlett and Etta Britt -- is true to the immediacy of the Clarksdale-area style, while displaying a virtuosity that's often missing from the average juke joint ensemble. You'd expect some primitive stomping from a guitar-and-drums duo, and the Wrecking Crew deliver, but they can bring across a bit of hoodoo like the slide-driven "She's Got Somethin' On Me" equally well. Their songs are page-from-a-diary direct, mostly detailing stormy relationships, and both men have impressive pipes. As in any duo, the third member of the band is the silence around the two, and the 2 Man Wrecking Crew keep the atmosphere of the Nashville studio charged with gritty blues. If anything, the comparatively high-tech recording casts the pair in a garish light: Malcolm's growling guitar sounds impressive enough, but Burnside's drums trade mid-range power for trebly clarity. Not a Saturday night at a hill country juke, but it's as close as many will get. Barnes & Noble

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