Album Review: Cedric Burnside — Benton County Relic
As the grandson of famed bluesman R.L. Burnside, multi-instrumentalist Cedric Burnside has quite a legacy to live up to. But as a three-time winner of Drummer of the Year at the Memphis Blues Awards, he’s his own man. And his 2015 album Descendants of Hill Country earned him a Grammy Nomination. But all along he has acknowledged his roots: Burnside paid fitting tribute to his famous forbear with the autobiographical “R.L. Burnside” on 2008’s Two Man Wrecking Crew, a guitar-and-drums collaboration with Lighnin’ Malcolm.
That instrumental setup has found itself played out by far too many rock and blues-rock duos, but with Benton County Relic, the young Burnside demonstrates there’s plenty of life left in the format. Working with fellow drummer-guitarist-vocalist Brian Jay, and recording both in Brooklyn and at Memphis’ famed Ardent Studios, the pair makes a finely textured, stomping record. “We Made It” opens the 12-song collection in style, and the unalloyed, crunching vibe continues apace all the way to the album’s conclusion.
The songs demonstrate a healthy variety in arrangement, subject matter, and vibe: “Get Your Groove On” delivers on its title. “Typical Day” feels like a Muddy Waters-style blues classic. And the languid “Hard to Stay Cool” oozes menace and mystery as it spins out Burnside’s statement of purpose. Elsewhere, more familiar sentiments like “Don’t Leave Me Girl” are delivered in an arrangement that seems to suggest additional instruments that aren’t there; working together in an audio verité production style, Burnside and Jay somehow sound like a larger ensemble.
The album’s songs are divided into two sets — like an old vinyl LP — and each set is identified with a symbol; one is a stylized sun or star, the other likely a moon. From that we can infer that the songs are thematically grouped according to subject matter or feel; it’s true that the second set (containing cuts like “Death Bell Blues” and “I’m Hurtin’”) is a bit darker in tone than the first, but setting the player on shuffle won’t lessen the impact of this collection of original material one bit.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4500-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he taught a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.