Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

Nobody quite knows who or what Isaiah Lightning is. Some reckon he is the nom de plume of producer Grant Heckman or the collective name for a group of session musicians and the silly but chucklesome blues mythology contained within Lightning's Bandcamp bio doesn't help a jot. Nonetheless, this 2016 release from the allegedly New Brunswick-based act is a joy to hear and sees him (or them) offering a collection of reimagined gospel blues standards. Kicking off with a stomping bass drum and slide guitar-led take on the Blind Willie Johnson version of "Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed", the album gleefully references a host of sanctified numbers including "Ninety-Nine And A Half Won't Do", "It Rained Children" and "I Got To Cross The River Jordan" and, thanks to an earthy but never fussy backing and some gravel-soaked vocals, those old chestnuts are given a fresh lick of paint whilst remaining faithful to the underlying spirit of each song. Lightning delights in straddling genres with the Elmore James-like blues of "I Can See Everybody's Mother" nestling next to the doo wop of "Dig A Hole To Put The Devil In" and the bluegrass exposé "Daniel In The Den Of Lions" with only a workmanlike version of the much-covered "John The Revelator" not quite hitting the mark in terms of sparkle. A great version of "Lord Remember Me" sees Lightning take inspiration from the gospel vocal groups of old whilst a couple of beautifully poignant Washington Phillips numbers - "What Are They Doing In Heaven Today" and "Take Your Burden To The Lord And Leave It There" - round off a thoroughly enjoyable gospel blues outing from the mysterious Isaiah.

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