On previous albums of original material, head Blue Mountaineers Cary Hudson and Laurie Stirratt forged their style at the roots-rock convergence of Southern mountain music and Mississippi blues. Here, they pay tribute to traditional sources, applying their sinewy harmonies to centuries-old songs with such raucous vitality that the album could as easily have been titled Raw. The results echo more contemporary influences as well, with the well-lubricated romp through"Little Stream of Whiskey" recalling the Pogues at their thirstiest, while the oft-revived"Black Is the Color of My True Love´s Hair" carries the electric jolt of Neil Young´s work with Crazy Horse. From the bluesy undercurrent of"That Nasty Swing" and"Riley and Spencer" to the Celtic strains of"Banks of the Pontchartrain" and"Spring of ´65," the album reflects the liveliest brand of regionalism, the sort that celebrates a vital legacy rather than re-creates a museum anachronism.