The Tremors
Blues Akimbo
Blues Akimbo

When I heard that the Casper blues trio The Tremors had at long last come out with an album, I knew I had to lay my hands on a copy. Having grown up listening to The Tremors play various venues around the Casper area, I was eager to have a way to listen to them without scouring the weekly play listings to find one of their much-coveted live performances.

Imagine my surprise when I took a look at the back of the album cover and saw that the first cut on the album was a Tom Waits tune. I've always found Waits a little (okay, a lot) on the abrasive side, but in "Gin-Soaked Boy" The Tremors have uncovered a sweet little bluesey Waits gem. The album goes on to cover such legendary artists as Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, and Muddy Waters, giving each tune a twist that makes it unique to The Tremors.

My favorites on this album are "Too Many Drivers," an upbeat, Kansas-City-style blues number; a version of Fats Waller's "Until the Real Thing Comes Along;" and "I've Changed," written by The Tremors' own Cory McDaniel. In "I've Changed," McDaniel sings,

I used to run wild
Hated work
I changed my women like I changed my shirt
Had a lead foot, silver tongue
Golden arm, mean ol' Thompson gun,
Tin ear, pair of glassy eyes
Diamond-studded talent
Just for tellin' lies

Paul Lange's harmonica weaves a counterpoint to Cory McDaniels' vocals throughout the album, the sounds joining in the perfect blend of blues rasp and smooth melody. Dale Bohren's string bass gives The Tremors that laid-back, live blues sound. The raw recording mix on this album lends it a live edge throughout, a sound that actually adds to its overall appeal.

Guest appearances by recording artists Spencer Bohren and Inda Eaton, as well as local and ex-local musicians André Bohren, Eric Lange, Al D'Adamo, and Kenny Garrett round things out and add some variety to The Tremors sound - André Bohren even plays a Buick tire rim on "I've Changed!"

I will say that I was expecting a blues album when I picked this one up, and The Tremors have thrown in a couple of numbers that fall outside the genre. On one hand the change is a little jarring in the middle of the album, but it also provides some variety, and I liked the songs.

All in all, The Tremors' Blues Akimbo is a great little find, so I recommend that you grab one soon before they're all gone!

-Melissa Henke

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