Agridustrial

iTunes Review

The Legendary Shack Shakers have an instinct for cross-pollination. Here they throw honky-tonk, rockabilly, punk, blues, gypsy, and old- time banjo music into a thresher and come out with the aptly titled Agridustrial. All of their albums have a distinct sound and feel, and this, their sixth, is particularly heavy on texture. The sound of machines, trains, and hammers on anvils add an ominous sheen to many of these songs, including the breakneck Balkan beat of “Dixie Iron Fist,” the boogie of “Hammer and Tongs,” and the grinding “Hog-Eyed Man.” They can also go directly from an outright creepy stomp (“The Hills of Hell”) to a piano waltz (“The Lost Cause”) and make it sound natural. The line-up has changed since 2008’s Swampblood, but the musicianship is up to the usual high standard with the addition of Duane Denison on guitar (Jesus Lizard, the Damn Band, Hank III) and Britt Whitacre on drums. Along with longtime bassist Mark Robertson, they’re still led by singer, harmonica player, and force of nature Colonel J.D. Wilkes, who howls, shrieks, and yodels through parables of greed and corruption.