Hill Country Revue consists of two members of the North Mississippi Allstars (drummer Cody Dickinson, stepping out front on guitar, and bass player Chris Chew), along with Kirk Smithhart (slide guitar), Daniel Robert Coburn (harmonica/vocals), and Edward “Hot” Cleveland (drums). Their sound puts some of the familiar Allstar trademarks (hip-hop, funk, etc.), if not off the page, at least on the backburner, replacing it with a harder edged sound.

The Revue got their start in 2004 as the moniker for the expanded Allstars lineup performing at that year’s Bonnaroo Festival, but Dickinson and Chew are also using the name for this side project (formed during Luther Dickinson’s leave of absence to join the Black Crowes), Make A Move (Razor & Tie), which features a powerful mix of Hill Country blues and Southern rock. Think R.L. Burnside meets Duane Allman and you have the idea.

The Revue leaves most of the songwriting to Burnside’s son, Garry. Burnside’s songs are pretty basic, but he has a way with a catchy hook, which is good because the emphasis here is on the music, with its dirty, ragged edge and primal rhythms. Songs like “Dirty Shirt,” “Ramblin’,” “Let Me Love You,” and “Growing Up In Mississippi,” hold up well with the actual R.L. Burnside tunes covered here (“Alice Mae” and “Georgia Woman”).

Garry Burnside also appears on guitar, bass, and vocals, along with brother Duwayne (guitar), Aaron Julison (vocals), and Luther Dickinson (electric and slide guitar). The Dickinson’s father, Jim Dickinson, is listed as “director,” and the disc has a real gritty, swampy feel. You can almost hear the crickets chirp on a few of the tracks.

Make A Move is a strong set, with a great mix of two high-energy musical styles. It’s the perfect soundtrack to a hot, humid Mississippi summer. Trust me…….I’ve lived through quite a few of them and although I’m a little old to be riding down the road with my windows down and the music cranked up, this disc is a perfect fit for that.