Amplified Heat

(Arclight)
by Craig Regala

Wherein the three brothers Ortiz relaunch the band’s first waxing (200 pressed), including a couple tracks indicative of the brothers’ electric blues rootage. Good idea guys: The strolling history of TX blues is a wide gulch, and there’s no reason not to jump in. As there are no quality issues involved, the inclusion makes the CD palatable to your uncle who hasn’t bought a new record since Johnny Winters’ Third Degree in ’88.

Truthfully, if I wasn’t informed of which tracks were the blues ones, I’da got one right, “She Drank That Wine,” but the more upbeat number, “Mornings Warning,” is a beer and a half away from their rock, esp. the second tune “I Don’t Care.” Overall, a nice slice that people can now grub up the second week of April.

If your train stops for ’70s ZZ Top records, Hognose, The Brought Low, George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers, or the Black Crowes with Jimmy Page thing, it can pull in here.
(www.arclightrecords.com)