Armed with technique to spare but never exhibitionistic, guitarist Mike Henderson leads his Bluebloods through a mix of originals and covers on their second album. "Tears Like a River" is a spellbinding performance where Henderson displays great sensitivity to, and natural fluency with, the musical exclamations of drummer John Gardner, string bassist Glenn Worf (cowriter of the tune with Henderson), and pianist John Jarvis (the former Rod Stewart hired gun replacing Reese Wynans in the Bluebloods). Playing the harmonica, another instrument he controls with ease, Henderson brings a similar kind of knife-edge tension to "All My Money"s Gone" and "Slow Your Motor Down," two more outstanding Henderson-Worf compositions. It"s only a matter of time, however long getting the word out on Thicker Than Water and undertaking a coast-to-coast tour takes, before blues America realizes Mike Henderson & the Bluebloods are one of the sharpest bands anywhere. --Frank-John Hadley