Smokin' Joe Kubek and
Bnois King's albums are dependable affairs that stick close to good old barroom Texas blues. The lyrics won't win any Pulitzer Prizes, and while
Kubek is an amazing guitar player with a huge tone, he isn't exactly reinventing the instrument, and likewise
King, although he is a distinctive and pleasant vocalist, isn't going to be mistaken for
Marvin Gaye anytime soon. Not much has changed on their second release on the Blind Pig label, and
Show Me the Money delivers another dose of straight-ahead roadhouse blues. If there are any concessions here, it is that all the songs pull in at a radio-friendly length, and at least one, the infectious "My Heart's in Texas," would fit effortlessly on "new country" play lists. The first two tracks, "I Saw It Coming" and "Burnin' to the Ground," pretty much lead the charge here, and
King's easy, subtle singing pairs nicely with
Kubek's gutbucket guitar tone, but there are no real surprises waiting in the grass, and certainly nothing that will shake the roots of the music industry -- just solid blues-rock. Somebody's gotta do it, and
Kubek and
King do it so well. ~ Steve Leggett