If the earthy power of Guy Davis's sandpaper vocals doesn't grab your attention and the resonance of his acoustic-guitar strings doesn't turn your head, you need to make sure you're still alive. The songs he writes and sings will make you laugh and tap along, but the way this guy blows is truly pulse quickening. This is Davis's fourth album, and though he's a veteran of A Prairie Home Companion and many other national broadcasts, it's on this disc that Guy Davis truly arrives. Producer John Platania brings out a lushness that evokes Davis's day gig playing guitar for Van Morrison. And the presence of the Band drummer Levon Helm affirms the music's Americana link. Like Keb' Mo', Davis doesn't stick to straight blues; there's a toe-tapping pop sensibility at work on "Let Me Stay a While" and others. He sings, "I ain't no bluesman/I'm the bluesman's son," a nice analogy for his music--it's linked to the past but living today. ---Robert Gordon
