Keb’ Mo’ - Suitcase / Pure Pleasure

On "Suitcase"; his eighth studio album, Keb' Mo' (Kevin Moore) teams up again with John Porter, the producer of Moore's critically acclaimed first album. The result is a pleasing, mid-tempo sequence of songs dedicated

to the emotional baggage everyone carries with them as they plod through increasingly complicated lives in search of peace, love and some measure of personal redemption.

But Moore works this pitch with a twinkle in his eye and a smile in his voice, and "Suitcase" emerges as an ironic commentary on modern life that still manages to sound upbeat and affirming. This begins with the exuberant,

bouncy reggae rhythm of the first song, "Your Love," one of the best tracks on this record.

Other highlights include the delightful ballad "Still There For Me," a celebration of the little man and his personal victories, "I'm a Hero," and the soothing, hopeful shuffle that closes, "Life Is Beautiful." Moore is generally pigeonholed

as a blues musician, but in reality, aside from his first album, he has produced very little blues material, and it might be more accurate to call him 'familiar with the blues.' But even that ignores the fact that he is probably considerably

closer in key, theme and feel to James Taylor than to Robert Johnson or any other blues interpreter.

On the title track, "Suitcase," however, he turns to the blues and transforms it into a wonderfully engaging song about what brings people together in a romantic relationship and what they end up taking from it, making full use of the

'emotional baggage' association contained in the title.

This is Keb' Mo' at his peak, using his ability to synthesize primal roots like the blues into completely contemporary commentary describing the struggles, travails and blind faith in personal redemption that accompanies people as they

painstakingly fight their way deeper into the 21st century every day.

Keb’ Mo’ (g, dobro); Fran Banish, Kat Dyson, Greg Leisz (g); Michael Finnigan (org); Reggie McBride (b); Sergio Gonzalez (dr); Jeff Paris (el-p, org); Jon Cleary (p. org); Paulinho da Costa (perc); Background Vocals und die Texacali Horns

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Title

Side A

1. Your Love

2. The Itch

3. Eileen

4. Remain Silent

5. Still There For Me

6. Rita

Side B

1. I'm A Hero

2. Suitcase

3. Whole 'Nutha Thang

4. I See Love

5. I'll Be Your Water

6. Life Is Beautiful