This ain"t your typical blues album--after all, most blues albums don"t include the following notice: "This compact disc will sound best at loud volumes!" And indeed it does. The New York-based Popa Chubby is a dangerous man around a guitar, and if one could imagine what a bluesman who used to back up punk poets might sound like, one would end up with Popa Chubby. He"s got a solid, steady guitar style and songwriting capabilities that span blues, R&B, and rock & roll, occasionally showing his roots in the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton. If there"s a weakness here, it"s that the music is occasionally a bit repetitive, making some songs seem longer than they really are; and Chubby"s cover of "The Wind Cries Mary," while solid, doesn"t leave a lasting impression. Still, rock-steady tracks like "Shakedown," "Rats Get Whacked," and "Transformation" have definite appeal and pack a hefty punch. --Genevieve Williams