COLIN LINDEN
Raised By Wolves (Compass)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

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In the leadoff track of Raised By Wolves, "Too Late To Holler," Colin Linden sings "Too late to holler - Too late to cry - Let my soul commence to roll - on the day that I die." Then Linden proceeds to let his soul roll all over 14 very fine blues tracks that make up one of the best albums of the year thus far. Linden's 6th album, Raised By Wolves, is, in spirit, a tribute to his friend, Howlin' Wolf. The songs are all written by Linden, and there isn't a throwaway in the bunch. Whether he's rockin' rootsy or sliding sultry, as he does in the absolutely mesmerizing "Raging River," Linden allows each song its own complete identity and heartbeat, making each one as compelling apart as it is in the context of the entire album. Linden brought in quite a few friends to help out with Wolves, including Colin James, Tom Wilson, Stephen Fearing and Bruce Cockburn, but unlike most projects with "guns" brought in for cred, Raised By Wolves seems to have been something all these people really just wanted to be a part of. If you get your ya ya's from salty, funk-tinged, slippery, slidey, New Orleans roots-blues, you'll want to be a part of this, too. It'll let your soul commence to roll.

© 2000 - DJ Johnson