The Blind Boys Of Alabama: Atom Bomb : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

With Atom Bomb, legendary gospel group the Blind Boys of Alabama seem to be going after fans whose main experience with religious music is Kanye West's "Jesus Walks." (Uncoincidentally, the Boys appeared with West and John Legend at this year's Grammys.) Bomb is their most adventurous album to date; for one, there's an inspired cover of the Fatboy Slim/Macy Gray collaboration "Demons," in which the Blind Boys welcome a ferocious cameo from Blackalicious rapper Gift of Gab. Recent work with Peter Gabriel and Ben Harper seems to have opened up the Blind Boys' sound, but they remain experts at testifying the old-fashioned way, too. Unsaved classic rockers will want to check out the septet's version of Blind Faith's "Presence of the Lord," featuring Billy Preston, and their bluesy take on Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky," featuring David Hidalgo of Los Lobos and Charlie Musselwhite. Atom Bomb proves even groups that have been raising spirits for more than sixty years can do with a little tasteful updating.