A wonderful mixture of solid blues with a soulful influence that is performed with verve and distinction. Neither blazing blues nor slow soul predominates; instead Pamela and the band stay largely in mid tempo territory, successfully blending elements of both sides of the coin to create a well crafted collection that will please fans of both styles.
The opener, "Betti's Blues", is a worthy honky-tonk piano blues; while "Love Me Like a Man" shows an altogether deeper blues sound. With "Down and Dirty" we return to a piano led blues with a song that does exactly what it says on the tin, so to speak. The soul influence is brought right to the forefront with a stunning version of "Piece of My Heart", and is certainly the highlight of the album. The other standout track is "Middle of the Night", a classy and passionate country edged blues.
With a voice that has just a hint of a Joplin-esque edginess to it Pamela is able to impart an extra dimension to her performance that can give an added poignancy to the more emotional numbers, with "Damn Your Eyes" being a prime example. This is one that grows on you, and Pamela does indeed supply some dirty blues - although you'll have to make your own arrangements for the dirty love!