John the Conqueror “The Good Life”

(Alive) At its heart this sophomore non-slump is as good as you’d expect bluesy rock (erring on the blues side) to get. But at its fists, there’s a few tracks here that just swing, rock and pummel, particularly the grooving threat of an opener, “Get ‘Em,” and the slinky salute to “Mississippi Drinkin’.” I might have spread these two out, as there are a few long stretches of “damn it’s bluesy in here” happenin’ on the album, but you cant argue with the impact of coming out the corner with a 1-2 punch combo. Consider me conquered.