Swampy and funky are words you don稚 want to hear when describing the condition of your basement, but applied to a musician of Tab Benoit痴 calibre, they offer high praise indeed. On Wetlands Benoit pays tribute to the many varieties of blues from his home state of Louisiana, including the bayou boogie of "Down In The Swamp"; the zydeco soul of Boozoo Chavis痴 "Dog Hill"; the down-home acoustic blues of "Georgia"; and the New Orleans beat of "Let Love Take Control".

Benoit痴 rough but soulful voice bears the mark of too many gigs in smokey roadhouses, but it痴 a perfect match for his masterful guitar playing. He really knows how to make six strings grumble, growl, shriek and sing. The one weak spot on this CD is Benoit痴 lyrics, which rarely rise above the level of cliché, but as his skilful performance shows, it痴 not the words you say or the chords you play; it痴 how you say them and how you play them that make all the difference. --Michael Simmons