This came out in 1999 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Sometimes, less really is more. Singer-guitarist Kelly Joe Phelps obviously understands this on his third release.
All he needs is his acoustic guitar, a slide, his voice, a slate of original tunes and a few traditional numbers to produce one of the best folk-blues albums of this or any year. The Delta blues of Mississippi Fred McDowall, the Appalachian folk of Dock Boggs and the tragic murder balladry of the Anthology Of American Folk Music feel like obvious touchstones here, and they all benefit from the caress of his light sandpaper voice and confident, adept finger-picking. Shine Eyed Mr. Zen, Phelps says, refers to that moment when he becomes possessed by the sound and the world slips away. You’ll know just how he feels.
