Struggle Buggy – Keep It Clean
Independent
www.facebook.com/StruggleBuggyBlues
12 Tracks – 46 Minutes
UK”s Struggle Buggy is described as “the UK”s finest Good-Time Blues band – specializing in the Urban Blues and Hokum of the 30’s and 40’s flavored with some Old-Timey, Jazz, Western Swing, and Calypso thrown in to spice up the musical gumbo. The band revitalizes roots music with unbounded energy and makes it party music again.”
The band originally formed in 2013. Their current lineup is Lee Bates on guitar, slide guitar, vocals and kazoo, Billy Newton on Harmonica and vocals, Michael Littlefield on bass, vocals and banjo, Keith Smith on drums percussion, and vocals, and Jim Murray on lap steel and mandolin.
“Black Rat Swing” will get you moving as Billy’s harmonica and Jim’s mandolin kicks everything into gear. “Come On Back” sounds like something Leon Redbone would have recorded with Billy’s harmonica again out front, some funky slide guitar work, and a deep bass run as he begs her “I will do your washing if you will just come on back.” “Keep It Clean” has a feel of a jug band song as all of the things that can occur that would require to be cleaned are cited noting at the end “take soap and water, you know you got to keep that clean”.
“Forth Street Messaround” moves to Memphis as they say, “ask about that new dance and the girls will say are you going my way” and ending with the note “here we are drunk again”. “Crazy About a Woman” opens with a kazoo leading into another jumping harmonica run as he declares “you’re the kind of woman I just don’t understand”. “Gonna Keep My Hair Parted” keeps the bounce going.
” I Ain’t joking I just want a taste of your “Custard Pie”. ” I know a man who is 83, if it is good enough for him, it is good enough for me.” On “Flyin’ Airplane Blues”, he flies his airplane looking all over the town for that girl he loves. A concern is expressed that “I don’t know what this country is coming to, I sure would like to know”. “Can’t get no work, can’t get no pay” and “The Panic is On”, a statement on the homeless crisis. “This depression has ruined everything”.
“Going Back to Arkansas” where “I know my wife and I will be happy”. “If I miss my train, I got a great big mule to ride.” Without “My Walking Cane” “I will feel undressed” dives into some Xavier Cugat styled swing. The album ends with a declaration that ” I sure had a “Wonderful Time” last night at least they tell me I did”.
Struggle buggy delivers a consistent high energy recording with a definite throwback to the eras they cite. The songs with exception of the sole social message of “The Panic Is On” are just light, fun songs with perhaps an occasional double-entendre thrown in and even that one jump to a modern problem still maintains the energy of the album. The bands’ instrumentation is also tight and keeps everything jumping throughout with a sort of jug band jubilance and 1940’s styled honky-tonk swing.
