What the Hell Is Goin' On?

A former boxer who was raised in a strict Pentecostal home, Paul Thorn has emerged as one of Americana's most engaging voices. This collection finds Thorn trying his hand at some smart covers: songs known by Buddy and Julie Miller, Ray Wylie Hubbard, The Band, Lindsey Buckingham, and Elvin Bishop. Elements of gospel, blues, country, soul, and folk coalesce into a rootsy style that's plenty tough and expressive. Bishop adds electric guitar to the title track, which he penned. Delbert McClinton adds vocals to Wild Bill Emerson's "Bull Mountain Bridge." Allen Toussaint's "Wrong Number" cuts a firm groove with emotive power. Free's "Walk in My Shadow" transforms from hard rock into nightclub blues. Hubbard's "Snake Farm" shows touches of Hendrix in its swamp blues. Even Buckingham's "Don't Let Me Down Again" snakes around like a John Hiatt tune. True to Thorn's roots, Eli "Paperboy" Reed's "Take My Love with You" shuffles with a gospel sway. Thorn's mastery of various styles has made him a powerful American voice.