Nothing wrong with that, of course.  The blue palette is finite after all, and bands that don’t grow quickly grow stale.  But this outing is best described as transitional, as the boys search for a new sound and learn to work with the additional resources now available, including a horn section, more keys than in the past, and harmonica courtesy of guest Dave Hoerl.

It doesn’t always work.  Arrangements are too often cluttered and overly busy, robbing the songs of the power straightforward simplicity brings. 

Nonetheless here’s much to like here, from the driving shuffle of “Mojo Lovin’ Man” to the breezy yet knowing optimism of “Sunny Day.”  “Suitcase Blues” is easy-going with nice slide work by Rick Dalgarno, and elsewhere the layering of his and Ted Tossoff’s guitars reveal an intuitive musical understanding between the two.

But the thick textures of most of the tunes become a little tiring (at least to the ears of a blues fan), and the boys seem to be reaching for a new direction with this one.

The promise is still there – The Blue Voodoo are both talented and dedicated, and it’ll be interesting to hear where they end up.  But title aside, “Back To The Shack” sounds less like a destination arrived at than a slightly chaotic voyage-in-progress.

My advice? Wait for the next one and see where they get to...