A: Enlightenment B: Endarkenment (Hint: There Is No C)

iTunes Review

Texas country-to-bluesman Ray Wylie Hubbard sings in a voice as real and natural as dirt. The years have hardened the singer and steeled the poet in his soul. “Drunken Poet’s Dream” slashes through the blues idiom with a sweaty, literary grace that’s pure “enlightenment” considering Hubbard’s latest album title. With harmonicas, mandolins, organs and plenty of acoustic and electric guitars, Hubbard gives new life to the ageless American tradition of the Mississippi Delta blues. The nightclub haunt of “Down Home Country Blues” begins spare before the band hooks up to make a glorious noise with Hubbard namechecking the blues greats all in three tight minutes. “Wasp’s Nest” slows to an electric bottleneck blues crawl just perfect for Hubbard’s gritty delivery. “Pots and Pans” scratches against a raw harmonica. “Loose” throws the Hammond B-3 into the heart of the swaggering mix. “Opium” adds a narcotic spook to the grim proceedings. Hubbard closes out with “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” where he visits the Book of Revelations with his banjo on his knee.