Rick Estrin & The Nightcats (from the album The Hits Keep Coming

Rick Estrin & The Nightcats  (from the album The Hits Keep Coming

Rick Estrin & The Nightcats  (from the album The Hits Keep Coming available on Alligator Records) (by Bryant Liggett)
Record store clerks will file away The Hits Keep Coming under Blues. However, discernible ears will know to add ‘extra’ to the categorization, as the latest from Rick Estrin & The Nightcats finds the band laying down a solid Blues base before moving into Rock’n’Roll, Funk, even venturing into Lounge and Cocktail Jazz realms. It’s a sensible bit of musical travel, as Blues remains a foundation for everything, and the perfect starting point that pushes bands out into the musical world.
The album opener in “Somewhere Else” is a blast of Boogie Rock with subtle chicken pickin’ riffs. Rick Estrin & The Nightcats slow things down a touch for the title track, before “The Circus Is Still in Town” drops a funky confession about a performing monkey refusing to leave someone’s back. “I Finally Hit the Bottom” is a mellow blues ballad that displays hot guitar licks, “Diamonds at Your Feet” is a swinging cut with a grooving shuffle, and “911” brings back a juke-joint boogie. “Learn to Lose” is raw and rugged while “Sack O’ Kools” is an animated instrumental where those instrumentalists shine, from the ripping keyboard to the pushy but cool guitar.
This is hard hitting Blues, yes. You can also call it a Funk Rock or Jazzy-Lounge, the aforementioned descriptor territory that closes the album with “Time for Me to Go”.  (by Bryant Liggett)
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