There¹s a joke in Kansas that if the world ends tomorrow, it's the state to be in, since the Sunflower State is always 50 years behind the times.

Listening to this disc from residents of that unlikely state, with its hints of Mississippi Delta, Hill Country, and classic Chicago blues, you'll swear you've time-traveled at least that far back.

Named for the year Kansas joined the Union, the NorthernBlues debut from guitarist Aaron Moreland and harmonica player/vocalist Dustin Arbuckle follows a release with the King Snakes and two independent discs of their own. Along the way, M&A reached the finals of the 2005 International Blues Competition and went from playing Kansas blues joints to performing at blues festivals in sunny Italy. For this album, Moreland & Arbuckle are joined by drummer Brad Horner; guest organist Chris Wiser (of Oklahoma's Sugar Free Allstars); and Jeffrey Eaton, single-string gas-tank bassist of Kansas thrashgrass favorites Split Lip Rayfield.

1861 is bookended by two of its strongest tracks, opening with a lusty version of Hound Dog Taylor¹s "Gonna Send You Back to Georgia" and easing out with a laid-back, greasy jam-band groove called "Wiser Jam." In between, the duo salutes Mississippi Fred McDowell ("Tell Me Why"), captures a touch of Jimmy Reed ("Please Please Mammy"), and romps through an R.L. Burnside tune ("See My Jumper Hangin' Out On the Line"). About as close as they get to 'contemporary blues-rock' is a hint of Seventies Cream or Mountain on "Diamond Ring." And while the usual love-gone-wrong songs surface, so do some reflective moments ("Wrong I Do") and sweet nods to the good times found by heading out with the kids ("Fishin' Hole") or recalling Grandma's fried chicken ("Please Please Mammy").

There's nothing fake or fussy here, just good music rooted in history without slavishly imitating it, played with a lot of energy and little pretense. It's proof that every now and then it's better to be behind the times. - by Chris Heim, Blues Revue