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Taste the Flavor on CD

Taste the Flavor, Nothing Painted Blue's sixth full-length, brings together the veteran Inland Empire trio for 13 songs that are louder, looser, and stranger than their previous reputation. Recorded at Tucson, Arizona's famed Wavelab by Craig Schumacher (Giant Sand, Calexico, Neko Case), most of the disc emphasizes performance and feel over elaborately overdubbed arrangements - opener "One Who Fell" and epic closer "Swansong" capture the band's confident interactions as well as any studio recording can. This is NPB's least restrained and most varied album, ranging from the touching pop ("Back in Town," with Schumacher's harmonica solo) and angular speedballs ("Emphasis") you'd expect, though a Stones-y riff-rocker ("A Longer Leash," complete with cowbell), and an acoustic dub excursion ("Dry Spell"). Front man Franklin Bruno's sharp-witted lyrics and emotionally engaged vocals are still in place, but they're augmented by newfound guitar firepower, and tough, no-bullshit rhythm arrangements by drummer Kyle Brodie and bassist Peter Hughes.