ZZ Top – Mescalero [Audio CD]

Midway through their fourth decade, ZZ Top–the “Little Ol’ Band from Texas”–have lost none of their preternatural affinity for the blues. But, as Mescalero ably demonstrates, that love continues to be informed by a restless sonic creativity that keeps it remarkably fresh. Proving he remains a fan of pop music in all its incarnations, band mainstay Billy Gibbons employs a grease’n’grit production that gives a surprisingly contemporary edge, whether on the grunge-meets-techno rattle of “Me So Stupid”, the emblematic Top boogie “Buck Nekkid” or the zydeco-tinged lugubriousness of “Alley-Gator”. But Gibbons and company’s alternately lo-fi and electro sensibilities also take intriguing detours down country roads on “Goin’ So Good” and “What Would You Do”, while the en espanol “Que Lastima” sees them stray rewardingly across the Rio Grande for inspiration. The bluesy, hip-hop experimentalism of “Crunchy” and “Dusted” offers up more angular treats, morphing effortlessly into the patented, greasy boogie of “Liquor”, then a country-blues cover/hidden track/coda of the chestnut “As Time Goes By”–the warmest surprise of an album already blessed with more than its share of invention. –Jerry McCulley