Handsome Jack – Barnburners
Alive Natural Sound Records
10 songs – 34 minutes
A percussive roots-rock trio based out of Lockport, N.Y., Handsome Jack explodes out of the gate from the first note of this 10-tune pleaser. They mix blues, old-school boogie, R&B and rock to create a raw, swamp-infused sound that’s both familiar and suited for any of the backwoods juke joints that used to populate the Mississippi Delta.
Led by guitarist/vocalist Jamison Passuite with Joe Verdonselli on bass and harp and Bennie Hayes on drums – both of whom sing, too, Handsome Jack have been keeping crowds in Western New York entertained and on the dance floor since the 2010s. They’ve also built a following that includes Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes, Zachary Gabbard of the Black Keys and Ben McLeod of All Them Witches.
The eighth disc in their catalog, Handsome Jack casts a trance like spell throughout most of this set with brief interruptions to deliver a taste of traditional blues rock. A driving guitar beat accompanied by rapid-fire, syncopated percussion kicks off the opener, “Barnburner,” which announces: “We’re really gonna pitch a party. The old man bought the farm…and we’re gonna burn the barn down.” And, with five gallons of moonshine on hand, they’re definitely not kidding.
The rhythm evolves into a boogie beat for “Tonight We Ride,” which invites friends to join in as they head west and “chase down the dotted line” as “the sun is on the run.” Their plan is to ramble over mountains and across rivers all night long. A slowed-down shuffle beat drives “It’s Only Business,” an apology to a lady while letting her go. Jamison still wants to love her, but inflation has forced him to cut his budget because she costs too much.
The only cover in the set, Tony Joe White’s familiar “Polka Salad Annie” is up next. While the delivery is straightforward, it’s still as funky as funky gets. The financial woes that existed in “It’s Only Business” carry forward with the languorous rocker, “Blue Falls Motel.” It’s delivered from the standpoint of being cheated out of the closing costs after the purchase of a new home fails.
But the pace quickens and theme brightens with the first notes of the medium-fast shuffle “Do It! To It!,” which states that it doesn’t matter who you are or how you look. If you treat the singer right, he’ll treat you right, too. Next up, the loping “I’m Hooked” finds Jamison head-over-heels for a lady, and it doesn’t matter how she treats him because he’ll never let her go.
The band lays down a slow, true-blue Chicago shuffle for a description of “Polly Molly” next. She’s a lady who also goes by the name Marie, and she’s unfaithful as a gal can get. Not only does she have a man downtown, but when the singer gets up from her side another man quickly assumes his spot on the chair. The album ends with the rapid-fire rocker “Let’s Go Downtown,” which urges a lady to have a ball, and the deep blue “Ghost Woman,” which describes another woman who comes calling like a specter in the middle of the night and then disappears as rapidly, too, leaving no trace of her whereabouts.
Handsome Jack might fly under the radar in the blues world, but they’re definitely worth a listen. There are no loose ends in this set. Highly recommended.
