The Blasters call their sound "American music," a label that would be pompous if it weren't so absolutely deserved. With their bright, raw playing, terrific taste and Phil Alvin's full-bodied vocals, the Blasters are heirs to all the best American music traditions. Their songs are spiced with a hint of soul, a pinch of R&B and a dose of rockabilly, but these guys are no purists: all of these tunes are performed with the energy of sweat-drenched rock & roll.

The real key to the Blasters' exuberant authenticity is drummer Bill Bateman. Like Charlie Watts, he knows how to swing, and it's his playing that makes songs like the New Orleans-flavored "Hollywood Bed," Sunnyland Slim's "Highway 61" and Dave Alvin's rockabilly hit "Marie Marie" sound vibrant instead of embalmed. If there's a flaw in The Blasters, in fact, it might be that the tunes have too much life; they don't stick around in your head when the record is over but slip off into the tradition that the Blasters are proud to be a part of. (RS 368)

DEBRA RAE COHEN