I have been waiting for this. Moreland & Arbuckle's last cd "1861" came out in February 2008. It was great, and ever since then I've been looking forward to their next outing. Well, after 2 years, "Flood" continues right where "1861" left off, and it is great to have them back. This is their first cd for Telarc, but don't think they have compromised anything to get here. Aaron Moreland on guitar and Dustin Arbuckle on harmonica and vocals, with the powerful driving help of Brad Horner on drums, have made another mighty, rootsy Delta blues-fueled cd. Highlights are plentiful, from the sizzling Little Walter cover opener "Hate To See You Go" and a "Legend of John Henry" that literally could be 25 minutes long and still never get old. The tune "Don't Wake Me" has some great slide guitar, some great harp playing, a few vocals and a piano--in less than 4 minutes this single track alone will pay you back the cost of the cd. There are two versions of "Can't Get Clear"--one electric and one acoustic featuring a banjo--and both burn with a devilish intensity. Everything here sounds just exactly RIGHT, like it is not new at all but years and years old and it has just waiting to be re-discovered and presented again to a world that needed these songs. A big part of why I have complete faith that the blues will never die out is the music like this. These guys can stand before a microphone or a crowd and flat out play--they deliver the living breathing GOODS. M&A have been playing together for almost a decade now, and it's time for the blues world to get excited about them. Don't even hesitate--go buy this disc and listen to it a couple of dozen times. Go see them live.
You can buy this cd at: http://www.morelandarbuckle.com/
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