Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits

Mike Campbell made his bones as the lead guitarist for one of the great working bands in rock & roll, so it should come as no surprise that the Dirty Knobs -- the group thats become his main gig since the 2017 death of Tom Petty and the subsequent disbandment of the Heartbreakers -- are hitting a groove three albums into their career. Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits arrives two years after External Combustion, which appeared two years after the groups 2020 debut, Wreckless Abandon. During those four years, the Dirty Knobs underwent some visible changes -- Campbells name went on the marquee for External Combustion; original guitarist Jason Sinay was replaced by Chris Holt, who makes his debut with the band here, as does former Heartbreaker drummer Steve Ferrone -- which isnt turbulence so much as what a working band does: they persevere. On Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits, the Dirty Knobs sound rougher and richer than they did before, expanding upon the roots they laid down on their first two records. All of Campbells signatures remain in place, not just from the Dirty Knobs but from the Heartbreakers, too: the group graft psychedelia upon the heavy blues crunch thats their specialty. The slight studio trickery and willingness to float away on the Byrdsian chime of "Innocent Man" make Vagabonds a lighter, livelier affair than its predecessors, yet the Dirty Knobs still drive headfirst into down-and-dirty rock & roll: "So Alive" barrels forth on a heavy blues buzz, "Shake These Blues" stomps like a greasy "Jean Genie," while Chris Stapleton and Benmont Tench help "Dont Wait Up" boogie with abandon. Campbell does drift into serious territory, such as on the bruised ballad "Hell or High Water," but the fact that Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits ends with the riotous drinking song "My Old Friends" is telling: ultimately, the Dirty Knobs are about having a good time, all the time, a dynamic that this record achieves. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine