Messing with the voodoo
Snowstorm in the Jungle
By Iko-Iko
Kingsnake Records: 1988
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by Jim Trageser
This review first appeared in the March 25, 1988 issue of the San Diego Evening Tribune.
Taking their name from a Mardi Gras song, Iko-Iko's (rhymes with a double-shot of "psycho") debut album is an eclectic mix of Southern musical traditions.
"Don't Mess With the Voodoo" is a power-boogie reminiscent of Lynyrd Skynyrd or early Allman Brothers, while "Walking Through the Swamp" is a straight blues that borrows heavily from John Lee Hooker's phrasing style. And "Shoot the Bolt," an instrumental, is a slow shuffle similar to Little Feat's work. The best cut may be "Too High to Drive" an accessible bit of Southern rock.
The Miami quartet features Bob Hemphill's inspired harmonica work and little-known but impassioned gutarist Nick Kane. Bassist Graham Wood Drout's vocals are limited in range, but the material is framed to his strengths.
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