Hubcap Music

In his 60s, California-born Seasick Steve became one of the most successful bluesmen in the United Kingdom. But while part of his mythos initially had to do with his hobo background and homemade guitars (this album is named for one built from hubcaps and a broomstick), his old-school blues cred is what kept him in the public eye long enough to make this, his sixth record. Steve's sound carries a clear kinship with late Mississippi hill country blues masters like R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough; the churning, cyclical riffing and primal stomp of "Keep On Keepin' On" and "Down on the Farm" bear the same kind of muddy minimalism that made the aforementioned artists blues legends. But Hubcap Music extends beyond the blues, with the country-tinged ballad "Purple Shadows" (featuring backing vocals by alt-country siren Elizabeth Cook) and the horn-laden soul cut "Coast Is Clear." And while the contributions of rock royalty (John Paul Jones on bass, Jack White on guitar, etc.) is undeniably impressive, it's ultimately Steve's own idiosyncratic drive that powers this vehicle from start to finish.