Do What Comes Naturally

Like the much loathed but brutally determined cockroach, the boogie never truly dies -- you may think it's been beaten into submission or forced into exile, but inevitably, somewhere, folks are getting good and greasy with their guitars and drums, and goosing those blues changes into something that can make you shake. The third full-length album from Lockport, New York's Handsome Jack, 2014's Do What Comes Naturally, confirms the band is part of a long and noble line of musicians determined to work a blues groove until it's properly funky, and their style and sound hark back to the late '60s and early '70s, when bands like this were a common sight at America's mid-sized rock venues. The blues is a wheel that had been invented long before anyone thought to reshape it into rock & roll, so it hardly seems fitting to complain that Handsome Jack is a bit short on originality -- they're mining a tradition, and Do What Comes Naturally digs solid ore from a deep vein. Jamison Passuite's vocals have the right amount of growl, Phil Allport's guitar and keyboard work is incisive without needless flash, and drummer Chad Salmeri and bassist Joe Verdonselli manage to keep the bottom end colorful and flowing without calling undue attention to themselves. The songs are rooted in the basic blues figures, but the band makes them effective with a loosely tight attack that's just dirty enough without pushing their raunch too hard. It's not difficult to find bands who do what Handsome Jack are up to here, but by remembering to emphasize the groove and easing back on the blues dude schtick, they've made Do What Comes Naturally into a celebration of laid-back but serious partying, and it'll make a fine soundtrack for your next celebration of the boogie. ~ Mark Deming