*** The Riptones

BUCKSHOT

(Bloodshot)

There isn't a track on Buckshot that wouldn't be right at home in a stack of classic old roots and rockabilly singles by the likes of Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins. And if the Riptones had walked into Sun Studios back in the day, Sam Phillips probably wouldn't have thought twice about giving them a shot. All the right elements are in place here: reverb-drenched guitar solos, wide-open and booming bass, heartache, blue-collar blues. "Yvette" is the woman that got away; "Getting By" is the ode to working for a living; "Rebel Rock Armageddon" is the swinging youth anthem.

The band take their '50s vibe one step farther on "Army Blues," singing about the pitfalls of being drafted. Not that retro purity for its own sake should be any group's goal. But if the shoe fits, jump in and dance. And coming from the Riptones, nothing sounds forced. "Pardon Me" is as beautiful a rockabilly ballad as you're likely to find; the tremolo guitars on the instrumental "Buckshot" show they can step out and just play. The Riptones have been honing this sound for about 10 years now, but they make it all sound a few decades older than that.

Nick A. Zaino III