Cheap Wine

Influenced by classic rock and American blues music, as well as more recent radio bands like Gin Blossoms and Goo Goo Dolls, Blue Condition balances the grit of vintage tones with innovative songwriting to create catchy tunes that simultaneously sound both familiar and new. In contrast with similarly rootsy contemporaries like the Black Crowes or Black Keys, Blue Condition’s singer Michael Elford inflects with his natural voice, creating an interesting contrast. On the upbeat opening number “Where You Goin,” while the band fashions blues-tinged rock out of Dobros, slide guitars, Matchless amps and old Fender gear, Elford’s smooth tenor floats above the instrumentation sounding more relevant than retro. The title track riffs on a humble boogie-rock groove before Elford’s smoky voice ushers in the group who play with a clearly honed chemistry while boasting some impressive accompanying vocal harmonies. Not since U2’s Rattle and Hum has a band so fluidly balanced bygone bluesy resonance with modern day pop sensibilities.