Few white bluesmen can sing and play with the ease and ooze of swamp water, but Grayson Capps fits squarely in the tradition of J.J. Cale and the few others who can. His voice is husky and languid, and his woolly licks sometime sound like they're being pried from his guitar with a putty knife. But let's not mistake being laid back for mere laziness: Capps happens to be a far sharper lyricist than most people who don't spend all day drinking suds on the porch. His debut solo album, If You Knew My Mind,is full of compelling, wan portraits of his hometown, New Orleans (as written before the flood), as well as the occasional dark, Tom Waits-ish joke. I know you're 22 and I ruined your life, but please baby put down that kitchen knife, he sings on the title track, sounding about as concerned as a sunning gator.
