Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

Having been in the game now for over four decades, British R&B outfit The Blues Band know how to tick all the boxes when it comes to releasing music and this album is certainly no exception. The five-piece's strength of course lies in the fact that they have top notch players who each bring something unique to the table whilst ensuring that the sum is still worth more than the parts. For instance, slide guitarist supreme Dave Kelly delivers the band's swamp blues quota by offering up a fine interpretation of Muddy Waters' "Still A Fool" whilst the opener "New Skin Game Blues" gets proceedings off to a suitably rootsy start. The band's resident harmonica man Paul Jones turns in the kind of social commentary songs that he's become known for with the likes of "Peace - Don't You Worry" and "Too Much Competition" providing sage comment on the state of the world whilst the affectionate closer "Even Better" celebrates his marriage to fellow Christian speaker Fiona Hendley. Elsewhere, Jones' Manfred Mann colleague Tom McGuinness takes the birth of rock 'n' roll as the inspiration for the easy going "The Rooster Crowed In Memphis" whilst bassist Gary Fletcher swings between grit and charm in "I Am The Doctor" and "Say You Will" respectively. Each song naturally benefits from each members' instrumental skills - special shout out to drummer Rob Townsend for being the rhythm backbone of the band for so many years - and covers of the old spiritual "Get Right Church" from Kelly and a tender telling of Blind Boy Fuller's "Weeping Willow" by Jones rounds off yet another fine release from this vastly experienced band.

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