Our latest B.L.O.W. (Blues Lyrics of the Week) is about as current as you can get, coming off of the Kilborn Alley Blues Band‘s latest CD Better Off Now (Blue Bella Records), out today. Produced by Nick Moss, this one is chock full of Chicago-style blues and soul, including a title track and one or two others (“Tonight” jumps to mind) that sound like tunes Sam Cooke himself could have recorded, a catchy opener in the recession-themed “Nothin’ Left to Stimulate,” the Moss-penned “Watch It,” the slow, deep groove of “Keep Me Hangin'” and some thoughtful lyrics in songs like “You Can Have the Tail” (Say man, is that whiskey that you’re drinkin’/ you know that stuff’s gonna’ stop you from thinkin’/ say man, is that gin that you’re sippin’/ you know that’s gonna’ start you trippin’/ think it through, you might wanna’ quit/ you can have the tail but you gotta’ take what comes with it”) and “Train to Memphis,” which also offers some pretty impressive harp from Joe Asselin.
“Rode into Chicago, we didn’t tear down,
I ain’t got too much to bitch about –
I got a good woman, she’s still around.
Just sittin’ ’round town, just tryin’ to catch a break,
Don’t wanna’ go to work,
Wanna’ spend all my time at the lake.
Never took the train to Memphis,
Might hafta’ do that some time.
Whoa, but I do believe,
I do believe I’m doin’ fine.”
-“Train to Memphis,” Kilborn Alley Blues Band