THE REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND
BETWEEN THE DITCHES
Once again we’re blessed with another full length album of no-bullshit, balls-out, dirty blues from Indiana’s finest. It starts strong with “Devils Look Like Angels,” which can take on so many meanings, and doesn’t let up for the next 45 minutes. Even with the more tender “We’ll Get Through” transitions very well into the heavier hitting “Big Blue Chevy ’72,” a nostalgic song about an old car. Who does that anymore? Songs like “Shake ‘em Off Like Fleas” and the title track are filled with a righteous indignation against a broken system that speaks to fans of the blues but in a more “get off your ass” tone that would make Utah Phillips proud. Breaking with their tradition of live to tape recordings, they’ve opted for individual tracking on each song, which hasn’t affected the “live” feel their records are known for. It’s still them. And thank God for that. (SideOneDummy) by Andrew Ryan Fetter