Dave Edmunds assembled a self-consciously eclectic roots-rock album for
D.E. 7th, his first post-
Rockpile effort. Instead of returning to a one-man band status,
Edmunds hired a new band, which prevented him from returning to the studied perfectionism of his early work. Nevertheless,
D.E. 7th lacks the pop sensibilities that made early
Edmunds a guilty pleasure, concentrating instead on roots musics. While that occasionally means there's mis-steps like "Deep in the Heart of Texas," but it also means the wonderful bluegrass-stomp "Warmed Over Kisses (Left Over Love)," the country-rocker "Bail You Out," the cajun-tinged "Louisiana Man" and the excellent
Springsteen cover "From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)." The rest of
D.E. 7th is uneven, but there a few enjoyable cuts, and compared to what came later, it's certainly more fun. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine