Search - Bob Log III :: Log Bomb

Bob Log III is big in Japan. Perhaps not coincidentally, he's toured there an awful lot since the release of his previous album, 1999's Trike. Certain elements of Log's performance must be seen to be believed: his propensity for performing in a motorcycle helmet, for instance, or his insistence on playing a show with a woman from the audience on his lap. That sort of thing doesn't really come through on a recording. What does come through is Log's rock-solid rhythm and earthy humor, best heard on "One Man Band Boom." Like the music of other Fat Possum artists, Log's sound might best be described as John Lee Hooker meets punk rock; he'd be equally at home at a festival honoring either genre. While all the songs on Log Bomb tend to blend into each other after a while, they're all riff-fueled, groove-driven slabs of raw blues that scrape across the ear like a roaring motorcycle. And there are a few standouts, notably "F*hole Parade," which shifts tempo as smoothly as a well-tuned Harley shifts gears. It's not quite as much fun as catching Log live, but Log Bomb does give you a taste of this unique performer's octane-driven punk-rawk blues. --Genevieve Williams