New Orleans based blues rockers Old Riley & The Water play lowdown dirty 12-bar stuff. Their Biting Through EP is a summary of The Band trying to sound like The Stones in their Exile on Main St. phase. Plenty of good-natured trouble, captured on the fly like they are burning midnight oil on a cramped stage in the back a crowded bar. Main man Sean Riley like to muffle and distort his vocals, a smart move to draw attention to his vocals making the audience hanging on each word.
With a funky rhythm section playing catch Biting Through is an optimistic album, with the incurable American plea to believe in the power of self-inflicted change for the better. This naivety can a bit much for folks on the other side of the big pond, but there is nothing with music that can supersede everyday worries.
