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The paper trail that followed the North Mississippi AllStars’ Grammy-nominated debut, Shake Hands With Shorty, would be enough to pave the muddy, backcountry roads of their hometown. Reviews laden with every adjective befitting a boogie-blues revival and aw-shucks approach to re-creating long-lost classics, the Allstars suddenly found themselves in the driver’s seat. While the mostly covers Shorty garnered much attention from the industry as a traditional blues album, the trio realized the time was right to strike for the jugular and do their own thing. With 51 Phantom they turn a new musical corner with supreme confidence.
Brothers Luther (guitar, vocals) and Cody (drums, percussion) Dickinson and childhood friend Chris Chew (bass) also find themselves maturing as songwriters. Plunging deep into the murky depths of rock ‘n roll with some southern-punk cookin’, they serve up a most hard-rocking sophomore offering.
Like every good band should, the NMAS turned its collective cheek on forced labels, discovered new influences and altered their sound ever so slightly. While ZZ-Top and Allman Brothers comparisons still ring true, Black Sabbath and AC/DC help crack off some stomping new rhythms. The blues is still in the Allstars’ blood, but so is the mud. They are once again turning that proud boogie-blues tradition on its head and shaking the change from its pockets. Put simply, 51 Phantom is a clear statement of staying power.
The album opens, appropriately, with its title track. The story of its creation goes something like this: driving down Highway 51 in Hernando, Mississippi, Luther heard the voice and blues guitar licks of a disembodied man playing on a porch oasis. And so the phantom of the Highway was born, kicking the album off in grand style. This juke-joint flyer just gets things going and Cody’s persistently mean backbeat is the reason.
“Snakes in My Bushes” is a balls-y rocker that most resembles a leftover Shorty cut than any other on this album. With its southern swagger and Skynyrdite attitude the song has it all, most notably mean guitar solo welded inside it that would have John Mayall smiling politely.
“Lord Have Mercy” is definitely not for any chorale chamber. Courtesy of boogie-blues forefather and band influence David “Junior” Kimbrough, “Mercy” is one of two covers and serves as a soulful and heartfelt plea. “Storm” follows with some well-placed juxtaposition, proving they’ve got some Grateful Dead chops, too. Beautiful harmonies and mid-tempo rhythm borrow directly from Bob Weir’s understated licks.
Thankfully the wise decision was made to showcase the Gospel according to Chris Chew. “Freedom Highway” gives the big bass-man some room to show off his soul-fed vocals with this rare Staples Singers’ cover. If you’re really listening, the “marchin’/ on the freedom highway” chant will make you wanna get up and move. Chew’s time rolls on into “Circle in the Sky” with deep, fat pockets of bass.
The song for smiles, though, is easily “Ship.” Rolling with the gospel theme, this fun-as-hell, hand-jive rump-shaker is sure to please even the most fickle music fan and will be a concert highlight for a very long time. Ridding himself of the distortion pedal, Luther showcases his immense guitar talent. Together as a band, the Allstars once again prove that soul is where it’s at. A hopeful precursor that the world will hear more from Chew, this mid-album triplet is a great introduction as to the how-and-why gospel works so well in rock.
Borrowing its breaks from The Jeffersons’ theme song, “Up Over Yonder” succeeds in the best possible way. Luther’s guitar stands out again and is heartbreakingly good fronting Cody’s skin work. Closing things out with the meanest and, by far, best track overall is “Mud.” This exemplary song signifies exactly what the Allstars are about. Throwing a nasty punk-meets-metal exclamation point down, the autobiographical chant “I’m in the mud and the mud’s in me” can’t say it any better.
North Mississippi Allstars ooze enough badass to give them the aplomb for trying things others might be afraid to. 51 Phantom was put together with mostly first-take recordings and its freshness shows on every track. If you’re a fan of “sweetening” songs and digital aid, stay away. But if you like your rock bands to create on-the-fly and prefer tarnish over polish, this album will stick in your stereo like the mud in the Allstars’ DNA.
Scott Caffrey
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