Leadbetter Band - Howl

With an album title like Howl, you might expect these eleven songs to be a whole lot louder. It's not until five songs in, with "Feedin the Landlord," that Leadbetter Band really lets loose and gets noisy. Maybe it's just all the sonic deferred gratification, but it sure feels good once leader Eric Leadbetter is given something meaty to truly use his vocal power. And make no mistake about it, Leadbetter is one powerful vocalist.

Based in Oregon, this rock trio plays an inviting style of blues-rock. Not surprisingly, the group has opened for ZZ Top, another modern blues music favorite. A song like "Snake Oil" is especially appropriate right now. Seemingly a commentary on the modern-day media, this one refers back how to con men used to sell snake oil as a sort of cure-all. These days, telling lies and selling 'bills of goods' is more popular than ever. With the folk-rock-ish "Find Your Love Again," Leadbetter holds out hope of redemption for anyone experiencing the blues.

While mostly exploring the gentler side of the blues, Howl is a fine example of the blues put into a contemporary context.

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