Wayne Hancock - Viper of Melody [CD]

"I want to jump the blues and make the hard times swing." So opens the fourth full-length album for Bloodshot, and it's a deft proclamation of Wayne the Train's unwavering belief in the curative energy of juke joint swing. Man, there ain't no problem that can't be salved by his brand of stripped down, intensely rhythmic amalgam of hillbilly swing, honky-tonk, rockabilly and hep-cat boogie. It's an infectious and unpretentious sound that tells quotidian tales of driving your life away, throwing your money away, and having holes in your roof and holes in your shoes. Even when he sings on the hard times like "the rich folks call it recession, but the poor folks call it depression" in "Workin' at Workin'", it's done with a big smile and the dance floor is still full, with Wayne calling out solos to crack players like a modern day Bob Wills. Hell, you can even dance to his murder ballads. Yeah, Wayne's a throwback, but his conviction and energy kick to the curb any notion that he's a dusty old museum piece.