Reference Recordings artist: Doug MacLeod - Exactly Like This - New Release review

I just received the newest release (March 10, 2015), Exactly Like This, from Doug MacLeod and it's quite good. Opening with piano boogie, Rock It Til The Cows Come Home, MacLeod on guitar and vocal is joined by Mike Thompson on piano, Jimi Bott on drums and Denny Croy on bass. This track has an acoustic basis but it really does rock. With a solid piano groove and acoustic guitar instrumentation MacLeod's vocals push the track. Too Many Misses For Me has more of a jazzy feel and an acoustic guitar lead. A strong track with nice articulation. Find Your Right Mind has more of a quiet Johnson ballad (Come Into My Kitchen) style but with a more urban twist. MacLeod plays the slide resonator sweetly on this track. Ain't It Rough? has a rag feel but is really more of a story telling track with rhythmic accompaniment. Vaneta, a cool guitar boogie is lead by MacLeod on acoustic guitar and with a real nice blues Hooker like guitar riff. The spirit of John lee lingers in this track with his basic attack and feel. Excellent! Serious Doin' Woman has a real cool swampy feel (think Poke Salad Annie) with tall tales and a simple beat. Ridge Runner opens with a march like drum beat and continues into train land. With finger chicken pickin and light snare work, this track has the feel of Orange Blossom Special or another similar bluegrass track but brought up to a more sophisticated level of execution (no fiddle). New Morning Road is the purest delta style blues track, vocal and acoustic guitar and possibly my favorite track on the release. Think early Skip James or Hooker, Muddy Waters. Very cool! Raylene is an easy flowing blues track with slide resonator backing MacLeod singing a basic 12 bar. In Johnson style but with a more modern flair, this track transcends the decades. Skillful slide techniques shine on this track. Heaven's The Only Place is a somber bluesy ballad with quiet instrumental accompaniment under MacLeod's soulful vocals. Again a strong sense of slide resonator use really makes this track shine. Wrapping the release is You Got It Good (And That Ain't Bad), a swing track with crisp piano drive. Thompson, Croy and Bott are really tight on this track making this a super final track on a strong release.

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