Making sure that country-blues starts the 21st century off on the right foot,
Guy Davis'
Butt Naked Free, whose title was inspired by the comments of
Davis' young son, is one of the most accomplished statements the genre has offered in a few years. Picking up where 1998's
You Don't Know My Mind left off,
Davis once again has decided to fill out his sound, but this time adding touches of mandolin, organ and accordion, with the results being altogether more satisfying and never sounding even slightly overproduced. Where
Davis on his previous album sounded, at times, unsure of his new direction,
Butt Naked Free rocks with a loose liveliness, still allowing
Davis' derivative yet idiosyncratic sound to shine through. "Waiting on the Cards to Fall" and "Never Met No Woman Treats Me Like You Do," the latter with
Levon Helm contributing drums and mandolin, showcase how well
Davis' sound fills out and offers the unique experience of hearing what it might have sounded like if
Mance Lipscomb or
Reverend Gary Davis had ever recorded with full-band accompaniment. Ballads like "Let Me Stay a While" and the narrative "Sugar Belle Blue" are some of the strongest
Davis has written and, if anything, benefit considerably from the more filled out sound. Of course,
Davis still delivers more than a few of his stripped-down solo country-blues tunes with the humorous "High Flying Rocket," the mean slide playing on "Come On Sally Hitch a Ride," and the gorgeous instrumental "The Place Where I'm From (Butt Naked Free)." More than anything,
Butt Naked Free shows that
Guy Davis is still more than happy to carry the banner of country-blues, yet remains able to add to the dialogue of the genre and put his own stamp on it in the process.