BBQ - Tie Your Noose (CD)

All Music Guide

In a world of rootsconscious twoperson bluespunk combos, BBQ has raised the bar by proving you can do it all by your lonesome. Thanks to the magic of foot pedals, Mark Sultan handles both the guitar and the backbeat on his second album as BBQ, Tie Your Noose, and if his rhythmic style is a bit less elaborate than that of, say, Bantam Rooster or the Flat Duo Jets, his guitar work is both tough and melodic, and unlike most of his peers he's not afraid to let a natural sweetness show in his voice. The songs on Tie Your Noose have as much to do with rockabilly and classic soul as guitarshot blues ("Don't You Hold Out on Me" sounds like a lost Sam Cooke number, and "Burn This Town" would do Johnny Burnette proud), while Sultan can make with the big rock or ease off into a lighterimpact approach with equal skill, giving this set a welcome sense of aural variety many bluespunk hardliners lack. And while Ed La Rocque's lowrent engineering and production fall a bit short of hifi, they capture S...ultan's live energy with nofrills accuracy and a lowtech sound that's warm and inviting. Pick up Tie Your Noose and serve up some BBQ at your next party it goes well with both beverages and the dancefloor, assuming your guests have any cool at all. - Mark Deming, All Music Guide Read more Less