Baby Sue.com

Before we begin this review we're going to state right off the bat that blues/pop is not our usual choice of music here in the sometimes pretentious yet plush babysue office suite. This kind of music isn't necessary bad...it's just not the kind of thing that normally makes our sprightly little cheeks puff up right. But there are always exceptions to every rule...and before we knew it, we found ourselves enjoying this pleasant smooth album from Jim Byrnes. Of course, we have to admit that our opinion was swayed by the fact that producer extraordinaire Steve Dawson produced the disc (just about everything this man touches is worth its weight in gold). With Dawson producing and a stellar line-up of backing musicians, Brynes would probably have had a hell of a time trying to make a bad album. My Walking Stick contains pure, smooth, feelgood blues pop with the main focus being Jim's cool and slightly rough vocals. If you think white singers can't compete with the black guys, think again. Byrnes comes across as genuine and real as all those old black fellows from Louisiana. He's that good. Cool cuts include "Ol' Rattler," "Walk On Boy," "Drown In My Own Tears," and "I Want My Crown.