Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band Make A Very Large Sound

The music made by Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band has always been out of synch with the norm. Its handle aside, the Big Damn Band is no bigger that a trio, and the Reverend himself finds his spiritual solace in the blues. And while their calling card comes in the form of a sound that’s brash and occasionally belligerent, at their essence, they’re an old school blues band with a fondness for traditional trappings — slide guitar, cigar box guitar, washboard and all manner of makeshift percussion. Funk, folk and rock ‘n’ roll enter the mix, they remain a true barnstorming bunch — making vintage music with pure finesse, their ragged edges notwithstanding. 

As a result, the confluence of bluster and boogie that dominates their new album, the aptly named Front Porch Sessions, continues to expand on that MO, serving up a vintage sound that recalls the best blues made by the early masters. Songs like “When My Baby Left Me,” “Shakey Shirley” and the ramshackle ramble of “Flying Squirrels.” There’s plenty of humor interspersed with the assorted shuffles, but thanks to the Rev’s fierce slide guitar and rough, gruff vocals the sound is seriously determined throughout. And while a song such as “One More Thing” tempers that tenacity, these Front Porch Sessions are so fired up, they could very well burn down the entire house in the process.