The Insomniacs – At Least I’m Not With You

February 18th, 2010 by WLOY Staff

If you feel lonesome on a late night, don’t worry, because The Insomniacs will be up with you all night long, singin’ the blues.  From the first song on the album, “Lonesome,” the listener knows exactly what this band is about.   The Insomniacs introduce themselves with a stylish organ along with jamming guitar riffs and harmonica solos all under the silky-smooth voice of Vyasa Dodson.  This guy is a triple threat: piano player, singer and songwriter.  If Michael Buble ever sang the blues and meant it, he’d fit right in.

The main catch of this band is their unique sound.  As I listened through each track, I felt they have a really developed sound, and they know what it means to play the blues. They’re pretty good at it, too.  They are Muddy Award Winners and were named the best contemporary blues act in 2007.  They definitely know their stuff.  When I heard the track “At Least I’m Not With You,” I imagined myself in a smoky bar back in the 1950’s, way down in the deep south, with The Insomniacs rocking out on stage.  Almost all the songs are catchy and upbeat with solos from piano, guitar and harmonica to keep you hooked.  If I could describe this band quickly, I would say that they are “well organized.”  Each song is easy to listen to and I could tell they know exactly what they are doing.  I think this band would be a great act to see live, because I imagine they would be very entertaining just based on their CD.  I myself am not a blues fan, but I must say I really enjoyed this album.  I can confidently say that every track is worth listening to, but one track that stood out was “Angry Surfer.”  Once you get to this track, you know exactly what you’ll hear.  The Insomniacs make it cool to sing the blues and leave you begging for more.

Grade: 4 out of 5 stars

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