The second cut, "Killer On The Loose," serves to reinforce that impression, but one can already see that Mr. Holt has some songwriting chops as well; this one's buoyed by some great organ, and features a few tricky changes that raise the bar a bit. By the third track we know Adam's capable of much more than simply recycling 12-bar riffs. Driven by acoustic guitar, "The End" is a rootsy road song with Adam's gruff vocals achieving an appropriate world-weariness.

"Drunk On Love" is a bit of a rave up that unfortunately doesn't quite work as well as it should. I suspect it has to do with the production, as each of the constituent parts is okay - it's more about the glue that doesn't quite hold it together. "Holding On To Your Love" is a soul ballad, admittedly far removed from blues but one of the disc's high points nonetheless, evidence again that Adam has a sure compositional hand. "Honey-Do's" is a breezy shuffle, with another excellent vocal turn and some interesting harp accents from Mr. Brock; "Going Back To Mobile" is (not surprisingly) a southern funk workout, with Mr. Jolley's drums providing a slippery and irresistibly propulsive foundation. Adam breaks out the acoustic guitar again for a solo "Queenie Makes Me Feel (Like A King)," taking the opportunity as well to show that he himself is no slouch on the Lickin' Stick. Entirely different from Mr. Brock's high, lightning-fast style, his is a thick-toned and raw sound, entirely appropriate for the tune.

"How Do I Love Thee," borrowing the famous opening line from Elizabeth Barret Browning, puts a decidedly bluesy spin on the question, in the form of a grinding shuffle with more of Bo Robert's exemplary organ work. "Knockin' At Your Door" is a mid-tempo tune that's not quite blue, not quite rock, but works anyway; the listed tracks wrap up with "Hole In My Pocket," a nice slow tune that'll ring a bell with anyone who's ever had to explain where all the money went (new guitar?) to a significant other. Nice, restrained picking is contrasted by some extraordinary harmonica work from Mr. Brock; I'd caution him, however, not to become too enamoured of his own virtuosity; a little goes a long way. The by-now-almost-obligatory hidden track is a version of "Mojo Workin" that doesn't add anything new but is fine anyway.

Adam wrote almost everything here, also handling production and design. While there are a few glitches (notably a glaring typographical error, probably caused by a font substitution) that should have been fixed prior to release, all in all this is a satisfying release by a younger player who looks to have a great future ahead of him. No, it's not essential. But Mr. Holt's next outing just might be . . . keep an eye out for it!

Web: www.adamholtmusic.com

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