SCRAPOMATIC

I'm A Stranger

2012-08-21

Scapomatic call themselves the Great American Blues Machine. Originally from Minneapolis/St. Paul, Mike Mattison and Paul Olsen started their band in the mid 90s. Olsen is an ASCAP award-winning songwriter and Mattison joined the Derek Trucks Band in 2002 as lead singer (and helped garner a Grammy for Tedeschi Trucks with Revelator in 2010). Swamp blues tune "Alligator Love Cry" is a new song (not to be confused with their 2006 CD of the same name) and I love the sassy 'hoo-aah'! Rat Trap is a rocker with tight lead guitar lines and percussion. Mattison takes his time with Crime Fighter, sung in falsetto---it's a tasty piece of ear candy. Track 10 "How Unfortunate for Me" is a nostalgic take with Kevin Hyde featured on trombone. With Dave Yoke on guitar, Ted Pecchio on bass, and Tyler Greenwell rounding out the rhythm section, Scrapomatic continues to hone their music-making, but the dynamic-duo's lyric-writing is what surfaces in their 4th release I'm a Stranger. Recommended tracks: (1) Alligator Love Cry; (3) Rat Trap; (8) Crime Fighter; (4) Night Trains, Distant Whistles. - Pam VandeKerkhoff

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