THE INSOMNIACS "AT LEAST I'M NOT WITH YOU" Source: Juke Joint Soul Date: 06/2009 Writer: Ben the Harpman

After their 2007 Muddy Award-winning and critically acclaimed debut release Left Coast Blues (with the freakiest cover in the world, I might add), the Portland, OR-based Insomniacs return for their sophomore release on Delta Groove. Led by 27-year old guitarist/vocalist Vyasa Dodson, bassist Dean Mueller, keyboard player Alex Shakeri, and drummer Dave Melyan; the quartet laid down their latest set at Clear Lake Audio Studios in just two days with a little help from some friends of course. The album takes a little more of a deviated path away from their blend of jump, swing, and classic blues to infuse sprinklings of twang country, Sun Records roots rock, New Orleans-based R&B, and surf sounds.

The album kicks off with familiar territory, jumping headlong into shuffling Left Coast swing beat on "Lonesome," a rollicking Memphis Slim side. Special guest Al Blake adds some smokin' hot acoustic harp solos on this one, checkered around Dodson's young call. You can hear Dodson conjuring thoughts of blues past down by other Left Coaster Hollywood Fats and Junior Watson. Next, new sounds hit the ears as the group infuses some pedal steel guitar by Joel Patterson on some Gram Parsons-styled roots rock on "Broke and Lonely" even though the song was originally penned by the big band blues master Johnny Otis. Classic New Orleans styled R&B are carried well by the in-the-pocket rhythm section on tunes "Directly From My Heart To You" (Yes, the Mothers of Invention tune) and "Baby Don't Do It" (a Five Royales smash back in the early sixties). Other reinventions on the disc are the Amos Blakemore-penned/Junior Wells signature "Hoodoo Man Blues," which is given a faithful but lengthy reading. Labelmate Mitch Kashmar strikes some very finely school harp solos in the guest's chair. J.W. Henry's "Description Blues" is also re-read here in an 8 minute fashion. The song allows Dodson to spread out and show his traditional blues chops, but is just a little too long to keep my interest.

The more classic R&B styled numbers on this disc work best for me. Guest Jeff Turmes honks some mean saxophone on the aforementioned "Directly" and "Baby" as well as the album's standout classic, the title cut. This humorous take of a bittersweet break up and a man's take on his newfound solitude is the epitome of Dodson's great songwriting. The lazy swing boasts a drunken bravado echoed in the lyrics. Dodson's guitar chops are in no question here either. Instrumentals like "Root Beer Float" and the eponymous "Insomniacs Boogie" are hot, frenzied, slicing, and dicing forays into hollow body West Coast guitar. Alex Shakeri's organ and piano work is deft. Check out his organ honks on the swamp rocker "Maybe Sometime Later" or again his piano on "Boogie" and its equally brilliant. These four guys are young, talented, and are excellent at getting dance floors filled. Not purely a blues band, they know how to pick and choose for their crowd night in and night out to get folks off their feet and dancing. They'll play just enough blues to keep the traditional faithful happy and alot of all the other good stuff in between to keep the new or fairweather fan buying their CDs or coming to their gigs. Dodson's vocals, for me, were better after repeated lessons. However, the arrangements are toe-tapping and danceable. The band is hot, slick, and road tested. They'll be four-star entertainment any place they go because of their vibrance, vivacity, and caliber of knowledge on their instruments. With this their second release and their non-stop and broadened touring schedule, they'll surely be esconced with more award nominations/laurels come the end of the year. And if they come to your town, you'll be up all night dancing it into the early morning light when The Insomniacs come to town.