You look at the cover. You listen to the album. You look at the cover again. The cover is in black and white. The music is in black and white and blue as Dixie Fried's self-titled album is a stripped out blues rock album and all these parts form the whole.
A duo from the wastelands of West Lothian, Craig Lamie (formerly of Mulehog) and John Murphy (formerly of The Scuffers) know their rock history and fill this album with judicious use of their influences. It is a very judicious use as well as neither of these musicians has a penchant for showing off with plenty of space left – probably deliberately – to ponder what drives them on. Their songs reference the basic tenets of life that echo the reality of living in an area where all the opportunity was in one place and that place is long gone leaving Craig Lamie sounding downbeat, but not downtrodden, throughout whilst spreading his riffs with economy over John Murphy's dry as toast drumming.
Of the songs, "Wanderin' Stomp" and "The Mighty One" strike out with the most power and this album by Dixie Fried is called Dixie Fried for a reason and that reason is there in black and white for all to hear. Even when it looks like there is nothing left, there will still be music. Honest, unpretentious music at that.