The Last Country Store

Album Review

Elam McKnight and Keith Carter kick off Sho Nuff: The Last Country Store with two high-energy tracks, tracks that recall Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. McKnight handles the guitar and vocal work, while Carter adds harmonica. "Ain't Gonna Plow No More" and "The Last Country Store" give the impression that both players could care less for new fangled conveniences like electricity, amplifiers, and Stratocasters. The third cut, however, proves this impression false, with a full-band rendition of "Going Away" with a smothered vocal somewhere between a slurred bluesman and Hootie & the Blowfish. It's an odd break in the album, and really hard to explain, since the remainder of the album returns to acoustic arrangements. Furthermore, Sho Nuff even includes an acoustic version of the song that's stuck at the end of the album. Even as an acoustic song, it doesn't match the vitality of "Mama Killed a Chicken" or the soulful intensity of "Whose Gonna Be Your...." The blues unleashed on Sho Nuff are quite old-fashioned, but the lively presentation keeps the music from feeling like a mere exercise in nostalgia. For anyone sick to death of warmed-up leftovers masquerading as real blues, McKnight and Carter have crafted a dynamic album. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide