Search - North Mississippi Allstars :: Electric Blue Watermelon

Remember When They Played Blues?

Michael L. Kauffmann | Wayne, PA United States | 12/05/2006

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Despite the fact that no one ever finds it "helpful" to post a negative review, I could not hold back. This is a horrible album. I fell in love with NMA when they performed on Conan (so long ago) and I rushed out to buy "Shake Hands with Shorty." To this day it is still one of my favorite albums, played constantly. I haven't heard anything since, until I got this CD, and I've got to wonder if I'm even listening to the same band.



I should have known better, I suppose. The crowded cover artwork is a pretty good indication of what's to come--an eclectic mishmash that hits on no other levels than being an eclectic mishmash. The real charm of this band had been their authentic simplicity, and thanks to it, a dirty swamp sound that effused their tracks. Frankly, it was a good, honest sound, something seriously lacking in today's music scene. All the guests on this album serve to simply water down and dilute that sound to something devoid of heart, but easier to swallow, I suppose.



It starts off just fine with "Mississippi Boll Weevil," a stomping swamp song if there ever was one, but it's a misleading lead off track. "No Mo" has to be one of the worst listening experiences I've ever endured... and that was only the second track. I listened on in vain hopes that it would get better, and it doesn't. Yes, Lucinda Williams is here, but one track is not enough to save an album.



It's sad to say that NMA are more of a jam band than a blues band these days. If one wants to excuse these musical dalliances on Electric Blue Watermelon as experiments in genre expansion, so be it, but they'll have to be recognized as failed experiments."

I'd call it swamp rock more than blues

R. Kyle | USA | 11/03/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"If you're an old school blues fan, you're not going to like this CD as well as the others NMA has done. The best songs on this CD is "Hurry Up Sunrise" with Lucinda Williams kicking in smoking backup vocals. If I had it to do over again, I probably would have purchased only half the CD in singles."