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Berwick blues boys (not your average bar band) get low-down with 'Dirt'
— By PATRICK DOYLE, Portland Press Herald
Who would've thought Berwick -- of all places -- would be home to one of the best blues-based bands since the White Stripes?
Roundhouse, a quintet, has released its sophomore disc "Kickin' the Dirt," a remarkably diverse disc that combines low-down Tennessee blues with jazz, swing and zydeco music.
The disc alternates between upbeat 12-bars and laid-back jazzy numbers, driven by master harmonica player Mike "Bullfrog" Rogers, a local harp legend who has been playing since the '60s (he also fronts local group Salt River). The band includes three vocalists: Rogers, Buddy Shute (guitar) and David Graf (guitar).
They look like any middle-aged bar band, but they don't sound like one. The first track, "Got Love," is a funky number sung by Shute, using upbeat major-minor chord changes. Lyrics can be clich ("Got to try some of that mojo baby, see if it works on you"), but it establishes the group's sound: twangy clean guitars and Rogers' ever-present harp.
The jazzy, conversational "Walkin' at Seapoint" is sung by David Graf, the smoothest voice of the three. Graf spent three years playing with the members of Bill Haley's Comets. His lyrics are chatty, full of often-humorous anecdotes such as "Walkin' at seapoint, me and my baby / at least I hope maybe she might be my baby." Graf's voice is distinctly different from that of Rogers, whose vocals are rough, particularly on the fantastic bass-driven "Ain't Your Sugar." It narrates a drunken night, concluding with the main character waking up on the lawn of an angry stranger.
Another track, "Midnight Train," sounds influenced by Sun Records-era Elvis. It's one of a few 12-bar blues numbers, which are fun but don't reinvent any wheels.
The album's epic song is no doubt the rousing "Hills of Arkansas," with speedy verses reminiscent of Chuck Berry's "Brown Eyed Handsome Man." It lasts a full six minutes, complete with a clapping-backed harp solo (credited to "Orange Blossom Special") and guitar interplay. It's the pinnacle of the disc, showing exactly why the guys in Roundhouse are pros: they know to play off one another, not outdo each other.
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