At the end of a sweaty 6-tune set lasting in excess of 40 minutes, twentysomething steel guitarist Robert Randolph announces that he and his Family Band will return after a 15-minute break. The music preceding that announcement will cause fans of Randolph's incendiary picking 'n' sliding to either fondly recall that second set recorded at New York City's now defunct club, The Wetlands, or hope for that it makes it to CD, too. Randolph is one of the youngest players to come out of the sacred steel guitar scene centering around the House Of God Jewel and Keith Dominions denominations. He arguably also has taken his church's music furthest into the rest of the world. You may already know him from his participation in avant-jam band The Word. Randolph and his Family Band (all cousins) make their full-length debut almost like they were still in church. "Shake Your Hips," with its ZZ Top (or is that John Lee Hooker?) riff cribbing, may not have more to do with Saturday night than Sunday morning, but "The March," "Pressing My Way" and "I Don't Know What You Come To Do" have "hot praise" written all over 'em. Randolph's Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan influences are readily heard, as may be a smidgen of Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), but the context remains fresh and invigorating. Randolph may be the first act since The Chambers Brothers to deserve soul gospel and album rock radio play. If that's not original enough for you, who'd want to see your record collection anyway?
Editors' ratings — Doug 4/5, David 3/5
