Eight time Blues Music Award nominee Nick Moss is back with his first studio album in more than two years, and he's making up for lost time in a big way with the 2-CD Play It 'Til Tomorrow.
Digesting double albums can be daunting, and most would be better off as singles. Moss makes the task music easier by not making a double album so much as packaging two single albums together. Taken one at a time, both discs are a pleasure to listen to. The first features the familiar electric Chicago blues he has explored on his previous albums. The second is unplugged, showing a side of his playing rarely before heard.
Of the two, the electric disc is the stronger of the two. The material is better and the band sounds more comfortable in the familiar environment. Don't let comfortable and familiar delude you into thinking the electric cuts are soft. "Late Night Saint" opens the album and accidentally gave the disc its title, as you hear on the hidden outtake at the end of the first disc. Guest rhythm guitarist Eddie Taylor Jr. supplies some added muscle to this rocking, roadhouse blues and gets so deep in it he proclaims, "I could play that motherfucker 'til tomorrow!" The song is so good you almost wish they would, but these guys are only getting warmed up.
Taylor supplies rhythm on several tracks, another of which is the stellar "Mistakes From the Past." His understated rhythm fills just enough space to secure the frame for some of Moss' most smoldering playing on the album.
Two of the album's finest moments come at the end of the first disc. "Too Many Miles" is a down and dirty blues that snaps, bites, and struts with a harmonica tone out of Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" cutting across the chaos. "The Rump Bump" is a muscular instrumental that allows Moss to flash a few of his finer licks. A six-minute instrumental might seem indulgent in principle but it never becomes a chore.
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
nice review josh. Moss is one of those "why the hell isn't he more famous?" kind of guys. of course, i wish that about a big chunk of blues in general.
2 - Josh
Completely agreed, Mark. This is the album that could/should do it for him. The material is really strong and his playing -- as always -- is fabulous. I'm keeping an eye on his touring schedule.
The Live at Chan's release let me hear how good these guys are live and some of this material screams to be played in front of an audience.