The Blind Boys of Alabama
Atom Bomb
Though not nearly as well known as the Man in Black, The Blind Boys of Alabama have been quietly and soulfully doing for gospel what Johnny Cash did for country. That is to say, they’ve been inviting unlikely collaborators and adapting unlikely material to give their traditional sound a more modern feel and expand the vocabulary of their gospel roots. On “Atom Bomb” they accentuate the spiritual side of songs by Norman Greenbaum and Blind Faith, but they’re not afraid to tackle even more left-field choices, like the Fatboy Slim/Macy Gray song “Demons,” which features a cameo from rapper Gift of Gab.
Best track: “Spirit in the Sky,” the overplayed ’70s feel-good anthem by Norman Greenbaum, given new life.
———-
Edited by Cara DiPasquale (cdipasquale@tribune.com) and Victoria Rodriguez (vrodriguez@tribune.com)
