Dr. Project Point Blank Blues Band - Eight Blue Balls (2003)

Dr Project Point Blank Blues Band have been playing the blues for 20 years this year. The line-up may have changed quite a bit along the way, but the style of music has remained the same. Along the way they have helped to firmly establish a blues scene in the former Yugoslavia, and the release of their seventh album "8 Blue Balls" shows that they are an outfit worth taking seriously.
Things start way out in left field with a short waltz introduction, "By The Way (You Look Tonight)," which will have you wondering if you have come to the right place. This is soon displaced by the rocking guitar intro to "Johnny Passed Away" which provides a good indication of where the band are coming from. Although the sound is largely dominated by tasty guitar work (from the Dr: Dragoljub Crncevic, who also handles most of the vocals), there is also plenty of keyboards on offer too, courtesy of Darko Grujic. The band show that they are happy at slowing things down on the excellent "A Cross To Bear," with its soulful (and doleful) vocals. John O'Leary (ex Savoy Brown) contributes the very fine harp licks here, and elsewhere.
All of the songs are originals, and they make the most of the guitar and organ which are laid over the rock steady beat from the rhythm section of Jovan Pejcinovic (drums) and Zoran Milenkovic (bass). It all works really well too, Even though there is a rocky edge to much of the guitar playing, it never really feels like a blues/rock album. The album has plenty of high spots, with the driving instrumental, "Blue Ball," "Some Other Place"--if Jarvis Cocker from Pulp sang the blues, this is what it would sound like--and the almost funky "Lazy Mama" all worthy of extra special mention.
After the full version of "By The Way (You Look Tonight)," a waltz sounding like it is being played on an old wind-up gramophone, complete with Jim Reeves-like vocals, there are a couple of bonus tracks just to make the package complete. The first, "You Give Me A Reason" has an almost Doors-like keyboard sound to it, whilst "Up & Down" sounds like it would make a great encore on a live show.
"8 Blue Balls" is a very good album indeed. DR Project Point Blank Blues Band are a fine outfit, and yes, they can definitely play the blues. They also write top quality songs, many of which have great hooklines to them. "8 Blue Balls" is an album that is well worth tracking down, especially if you like your blues to have a raw, rocky edge to it. Even if you do not, check it out anyway, you may be pleasantly surprised.