The Northern South, Vol. 2 - EP

On their second foray into the great American blues songbook, the roots-rocking husband-and-wife duo of Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland continue to tap-dance along the tightrope separating purism and playfulness. The Hamilton, Ontario-based combo's affection for their source material is undeniable—you can practically picture them smiling at each other as they bump ’n’ grind over the Jimmy Reed/Elvis standard “Baby, What You Want Me to Do”—but they also steer these venerable warhorses into unexpected directions, like a southern-fried version of Howlin’ Wolf’s “Who’s Been Talkin’” that dissolves into an organ-led psychedelic jam worthy of The Doors. And McClelland delivers the frisky lyrics of Slim Harpo’s “Baby, Scratch My Back” with all the landline-grade fidelity and flirtatious verve of a 1-900-number operator.