Hurray, the Riff Raff are back. And it’s all looking quite different. Their brand new album, Look Out Mama, is a whole lot more country and a lot less bluesy/Americana than before. Throw in a sprinkling of good old fashioned rock and roll with her new band the Tumbleweeds, and it’s a coat of many different colours that Alynda Lee Segarra wears on this outing.

Second out the stalls, you might find Look Out Mama is just enough to get you pulling on a plaid shirt and grabbing your partner by the hand for a turn around the dance floor. Stand out tracks range from the bluesy and soulful What’s Wrong with Me to the slightly retro feel of Ode to John and Yoko. And after at least a dozen plays, my current favourite tune is the foot-tapping Lake of Fire, hotly followed by the flood story of Something’s Wrong (Something’s wrong that my heart can’t fix/I got stuck in this big old ditch).

There’s a different depth, range and richness to the latest Riff Raff long player: this gal can sing where angels fear to tread. And as with most classic albums, this sustains repeated and prolonged play – will someone give this girl the credit she so richly deserves, please? Fab-u-lous.

Look Out Mama is officially released today in the US (buy CD here or download via iTunes here). It will get a release later this year (13th August) in the UK and Europe via the wonderful Loose Music label.

Download Hurray For The Riff Raff – Look Out Mama mp3 (from Look Out Mama)

Review by Mrs Mackerel.