Renegade

Renegade

The music here is lean, gritty and intense, drawing upon the primal blues traditions of North Mississippi’s hill country. Malcolm is joined by drummer Cameron Kimbrough (grandson of Delta blues legend Junior Kimbrough), who solidly holds down the beat without benefit of bass guitar. A Memphis-style horn section adds soul accents to the sweet, reggae-tinged “Precious Jewel” and the funkified “North Mississippi” (the latter featuring rapper J. Grubbz). Malcolm’s thick-cut riffage and earnest vocals are front and center as he serves up simmering ballads (“Guilty Man,” “Last Nite I Held An Angel”), strutting declarations (“My Lyin’ Ass,” “So Many Woman”) and rousing instrumentals (“Foxfire Ranch”). He recalls the nervous boogie beat of Slim Harpo on “Stop Fightin’ Over Me” and conjures up the hoodoo glory of Muddy Waters on “You Better Recognize.” Malcolm’s lyrics are on the minimal side, but whatever gentility his words lack is made up for by the smoldering power of his musicianship. By keeping things real and raw, he makes Renegade sound both immediate and timeless.

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