With several great albums that draw heavily on southern-rock swagger having been released by bands such as Drive By Truckers and Lucero recently, I figured I was fried for a while when it came to these types of sounds. With that said, I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself enjoying the new record by North Carolina’s Possum Jenkins (Official / Myspace).

Collection of Bad Habits, their 3rd album, ably displays what the band calls their “Carolinacana” sound. From what I gather, especially from “Reidsville” and “Don’t Tell Me”, that sound leans more heavily on the blues than the aforementioned bands that also crank the amps to 11. As a result, a comparison to the genre-bending Band of Heathens is likely more appropriate in this case. My favorite tracks are the ones that feature a healthy dose of harmonica, organ and banjo within the same track, like “Ramble Still” and “Burn these Leaves”. When trying to succeed at too many things at once, it’s easy for a band to not succeed at anything. Possum Jenkins maintains their focus and delivers to us a hearty gem. 

LISTEN: Possum Jenkins – “Burn These Leaves”