Let the Good Times Roll

You are going to have fun listening to JD McPherson's latest. His penchant for being a throwback to the early days of rock 'n' roll has never been stronger than it is on Let the Good Times Roll, and damn is he good at it. Hip-shaking numbers like “It's All Over but the Shouting” will have you dancing in seconds, and the title track has all the swagger and energy of a Chuck Berry tune. McPherson's vocals echo throughout, like he's calling down to you from the top of a 20-story stairwell, which gives the songs an airy, at times dreamy, feel. And if that isn't enough to get you moving, there are the dashes of Motown, surf rock, and the sort of swingin' rock that would make Jerry Lee Lewis and Brian Setzer nod in approval. But as much as McPherson's sound tends to resonate like a blast from the past, there are some moments on the album that have a more current feel to them. “Bossy,” for example, and “You Must Have Met Little Caroline?” both possess a bowl-you-over brand of neo-soul that fans of Alabama's St. Paul and the Broken Bones will go wild for. Let the good times roll, indeed!