Daddy Long Legs - Evil Eye On You (2012)

Tracklist

01. Death Train Blues
02. I Feel So Electric
03. Happy Home
04. Shackin' Up
05. You'll Be Mine
06. Witch Hunt
07. Trouble Always Comes My Way
08. Sittin' Shotgun
09. Comin' After Me
10. Candy Sue
11. Thirty Days
12. Evil Eye

Daddy Long Leg’s debut on Norton Records, Evil Eye On You, does not disappoint. Although it mostly wallows in the blues, any fan of traditional rock ‘n’ roll will tell you that’s where the magic started anyway. And it’s always nice when an album has a good through line that tells a story. This is the tale of Daddy Long Legs and his mates conjuring up the soundtrack to a rollicking backwoods BBQ.

Track one, “Death Train Blues,” starts with gritty, dirty harp, slide guitar and tambourine. It sounds vintage, as if a repurposed Robert Johnson. “I Feel So Electric” has a nice guitar and stripped down drum opening, while the vocals remind me of “Roadhouse Blues” by The Doors. With “Happy Home,” I hear former garage rock influence by the likes of The Sonics and The Downliners Sect.The guys in action!

“Shackin’ Up” is peppier, upbeat, and a little like old Bob Dylan. Whereas Lux Interior from The Cramps can be imagined with “You’ll Be Mine,” including some nice slide work. The center track “Witch Hunt” serves as a bristling conduit to the remaining tracks, veering from snakebite or an exorcism, with nice yelps and harp. The sting continues with “Trouble (Always Come My Ways),” along with hoops, hollers and rowdy crowd jeers. Once it gets going, it takes off with tambourine and full instrumentation. Love the muffled vocal effects.

“Sittin’ Shotgun” is mid-tempo, and keeps the album chugging along. The pounding, biting, “Comin’ After Me” (recorded previously by greats like The Flamin’ Groovies and DMZ) has good Stonesy backing vocals and callback harp. I found “Candy Sue” to be a nice reprieve, with groovy, danceable, beats that really got my booty shaking. “Thirty Days” is a lively romp, and I can almost imagine a gaggle of train jumpers singing the refrain. The closer, “Evil Eye,” really seals in the down and dirty swampy feel.

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