Ain't no lie -- this is great blues

It's almost unfathomable that three guys could cover Jimmy Reed, Collective Soul, Bob Marley, Jim Reeves and Gillian Welch and not make fools of themselves at some point.\nBut guitarist Wendell Holmes, bassist Sherman Holmes and drummer Poppy Dixon have not only avoided looking foolish, they've given all the cuts on Simple Truths, their second album for Alligator, a brilliant, soulful shine that almost by default will put even the most grumpy listener in a pretty damn good mood.\nThis is what soulful blues is all about, with echoes of B.B. King, Clarence Carter, Muddy Waters and R.L. Burnside on the disc. The group's cover of Hank Williams' classic "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" resonates with a grungy guitar growl and thudding drum beat, while the band even manages to turn Bruce Channel's '60s pop standard "Hey Baby" into the musical equivalent of a cool dip in the river on a hot Delta afternoon.\nSimple Truths is the kind of record that makes one wonder why the blues isn't more popular than it is. But that's okay -- those who miss out on this will be the foolish ones.