Swathed in denim ’n’ leather and wearing an American flag as a scarf on the sleeve, it’s somehow inevitable that Mike Tramp is, in fact, Danish.
However his irony-free appreciation of classic rock (Dylan, Springsteen, Neil Young) comes – as the title suggests – with a curator’s eye for detail. Opener Trust In Yourself is a heartfelt ode to self-determination, while Down South is a sleazy boogie worthy of the Black Keys.
Elsewhere there’s a little too much of the bittersweet balladry that characterised solo debut Cobblestone Street, but Tramp’s impassioned delivery (think Michael Stipe, had he settled for life as a petrol pump attendant) adds a welcome grit to these blue-collar laments.
