In an recent interview with R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, we ended our talk with his fervent endorsement of Dexter Romweber: "He's the real thing, he really is, it seems a shame in a world like this that he should not be playing for more than 100 people a night." That statement could have ended a similar interview in 1984; the fact that it's 2004 and Blues That Defy My Soul is an album on multiple best-of-year lists seems like some kind of cosmic justice.

I've still got my Flat Duo Jets cassette from the 80's in a box somewhere, unable to throw it out, because Dexter was the shiznit (as the kids say these days) back then, ferociously prowling stages on the alternative club circuit, menacing the camera on IRS' "The Cutting Edge" Sunday night on MTV. If you didn't know Dexter's history, you might think that his sound is slightly derivative - which is true, except that it's derivative of Johnny Cash ("Outta Site" and "Prison Called Life"), 68' Comeback Special Elvis ("I've Lost My Heart To You"), Dick Dale ("Nabonga") and Lux Interior ("Man Walks In") and *not* Jack f'in White (to whom the comparisons are so obviously tiresome that they had to get a quote for the press release).

It's his special brand of high-octane, stripped down, punk rock rockabilly and blues; but it's not just shouting, there's melody in there when there needs to be. While the album is elegantly crafted, the biggest problem lies in the fact that recorded media can't really convey Romweber's energy accurately; there's definitely something lost in the translation, but that doesn't mean that it's not a worthwhile listen. It's still a high-energy experience, great performance paired with solid songcraft, compressed into a little plastic disc.