Review: Scott H. Biram "Nothin But Blood" LP

Few musicians can pull off the sound of a long gone era with absolute honesty as well as truly embody the soul of times gone by like Scott H. Biram. His brand of dusty road Texas Blues and Bucket of Blood boogie-woogie simultaneously hit like a 2 X 4 and warms like a long lost lover's return; and his new Nothin' But Blood continues his sweet and brutal mix of blues, gospel, punk, and broken heart country.
The album plays like a schizophrenic jukebox jumping from head on collisions  like "Alcohol Blues" with lines like "You don't love me Mamma like you say you do, You can't be my woman sucking and fucking some other motherfucker too" straight into quiet and endearing tracks like "Never Coming Home"  with lines that will break your heart like "woke up thinking my soul had flown, I thought I'd died somewhere in the night. Yes I'm still just drifting on, got nowhere to do it right." And then there's Working On The Building Biram that can belt out gospel with the sincerity of Johnny Cash  and authority of Reverend Louis Overstreet, as heard on the tracks "When I Die" and "John The Revelator." It's a must have for Biram fans, and a must try for those not yet acquainted.  Although Biram has had some close calls in the past (hitting no.5 on the Billboard Blues Chart in 2009) He still hasn't seemed to become a household name. In 2010 I saw him tear the roof off of Zanzabar to a crowd of less than 30 (read the review here). perhaps this new release will win some converts to the Church of Biram.

Nothin' But Blood won't be out for 3 long months (2.4.14) but the first single containing When I Die will be available in stores on Nov.29 for the Black Friday version of Record Store day.