Brian Setzer '68 Comeback Special

Unlike the other swing music revivalists, Brian Setzer actually had a name before that trend resurfaced and then drowned again. That gives him that extra edge necessary to be able to set foot on stage again without being laughed off of it. Gravitating towards the polar opposite of his recent big band outings, he's gone back to his Stray Cats roots with only a upright bass player and drummer to back him up. The lead-off track, "Ignition," is as good as anything the Reverend Horton Heat has come up with in the last few years and sets the tone for this hotrod-themed album. The tone shifts throughout the album, from more country-influenced numbers like "5 Years, 4 Months, and 3 Days" to the barrio-boogie of "Santa Rosa Rosa" and catchy Southern rock of "Hell Bent." Some of the lyrics get a little hokey, at times, like on "'59", but let's face it, Setzer is one of the most blazing guitar players out here today, so who really cares? A surprisingly varied and outstanding album that would go perfectly with an afternoon at an outdoor hotrod meet and a cooler full of cheap grog.