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North Mississippi Allstars
Polaris
(ATO/Tone-Cool)
First Appeared at The Music Box, October 2003, Volume 10, #10
Written by John Metzger
The Dickinson brothers (drummer Cody and guitarist Luther) are on the move
again, not that anyone truly expected them to stay within one musical space for
very long. Just before the North Mississippi Allstars — which also features bass
player Chris Chew and guitarist DeWayne Burnside — could be pegged as a jam
band, it delivered a set of hard-driving rock. And now, before it can be placed
into the blues-rock bin, the group has constructed Polaris, an album that
is as rooted in the blues as it is in psychedelic pop, soul, and college rock.
Just within the span of Eyes, the collection’s opening cut, the North
Mississippi Allstars maneuvers from a heavy metal, Mountain-style exchange of
guitar and drums to an ebullient blend of blues-pop reminiscent of Cream’s Skip
James cover I Feel Glad. Then, it tosses in a touch of Allman
Brothers-worthy slide guitar only to settle into a shimmering chorus that comes
straight from The Spinners. The group rattles around within this strangely
conceived concoction for just under four minutes, after which it swerves into
the Sam Cooke-meets-Steve Miller-meets-Neil Young mannerisms of Meet Me in
the City. That’s an awful lot to cram into Polaris’ initial few
minutes, making a rather bold introductory statement for an album that
frequently succeeds.
Rather than forsake the sounds explored on either of its first two outings,
the North Mississippi Allstars puts them to good use by forming a firm
foundation upon which to build its ambitious new song cycle. Only Never in
All My Days; Be So Glad; and a short, instrumental bonus track really
could be termed "the blues," and the rest merely intimate the band’s full
understanding of the genre. As for the jam band aspect, the North Mississippi
Allstars significantly reduces each groove down to its barest essence, allowing
a song like Conan to carry the listener into the cosmic realm of the
Grateful Dead’s Dark Star through a 90-second solo tucked inside its
rolling country-blues groove.
Unfortunately for all its zeal, the North Mississippi Allstars does
occasionally lose its way, falling into college rock cliché (Otay and
Kids These Daze) one minute and joining the myriad of others who’ve tried
their hand at creating Beach Boys-infused pop (One to Grow On) the next.
This isn’t to imply that any of the songs on Polaris fall completely
flat. In fact, they can be quite infectious, fun, and occasionally majestic. The
problem, however, is that the band seems to be dipping its hands into too many
pots, so much so that it spreads itself thin, traveling somewhere that is
intriguing, but inevitably failing to come up with the fresh idea that makes the
journey worthwhile. Without question, there is a gem of an
album contained in Polaris. The North Mississippi Allstars just
don’t find it with any sort of consistency. 
Polaris is available
from Amazon.com. To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
Click Here!
For UK orders, please
Click Here!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2003 The Music Box
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