At times, songs on this album sound a lot like the playing of two other actual brothers (those being Rich and Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes). "Talk to Me" slows the music down to a Crowes-y sonic crawl, while "Free for Now" revs it up with slide guitar and harmonica howl. "The Mysterious Disappearance of Rufus Green" heightens the album's eclectic nature with a swampy groove that mixes together mountain banjo with a creepy, breathy Steve Earle-like spoken-y vocal.

With Mean Business, Black Oil Brothers carry on blues music family traditions with great enthusiasm and respect.