Mind your backs, hot ! Here are our Blank's Texans back with a scathing attack called Volume 9 after two albums by Dixiefrog, the live Re-Loaded in 2007 and Fight On in 2009, as well as the one of the John O’Daniel's 2007 solo project Legacy, along with burning gigs as actions in our hexagon, with among other things an open friendship with our missed Southern John Molet to whom Point Blank doesn't miss to pay tribute by a dedicacation on this Volume 9, bringing him together with Blank's former members sadly deceased , Kim Davis, Phillip Petty, Wild Bill Randolph, and Michael Hamilton.
This Volume 9 is this time self-produced by the band with a production of the maestro Rusty Burns. It's made up of eleven tunes, the ignition is assigned to « Blast », short but very striking instrumental composed by the two pyrotechnists of the band, Rusty Burns and Mouse Mayes who set the tone for the rest. It's followed by « Howling Wolf » and its bluesy part of dobro before a rising pressure of which Point Blank keeps the secret, also working on the subtle « Where I Belong », a pure wonder where O’Daniel's voice is at its top, with runny six string. Then arrives the Texan boogie « Automobile », cover from their compatriot from Austin, Texas, Bobby Boyd, a master of the honky-tonk Country Rock. John O’Daniel already covered it in its album Legacy, but in this Volume 9 it takes a more beefed up shape, by the contribution of Rusty Burns who was absent on Legacy. Same conclusion for the splendid « Lies Like Hell » and its gospel universe, also present on Legacy. We follow on with a convincing « Johnny Dallas » to arrive then on a medium tempo with « Amigos », a tiny bit tex-mex. We continue with some 5-star rhythm where Point Blank gives all it got with an uncommon ability on the masterful « Start The Car », a work of Jude Cole, a songwriter guitarist from Illinois who worked among others with Moon Martin. « Start The Car » is the title of his album released in 1992. This tune fits Point Blank like a glove, supremely wrapped up with beautiful guitar notes by Rusty Burns and Mouse Mayes. Here, John O’Daniel is really mind-blowing. Same feeling just a bit more muted deployed on « It Ain’t Right » signed by the Blank's keyboards player Larry Telford and O’Daniel. We don't forget the Blues thanks to « Heart Of Fool » with the signature Allman/O’Daniels/Williams, probably written at the time where Gregg Allman stayed in Dallas during the mid-seventies. The stand is closed with some pure Blank like we love it on « To Be a Man » that ends this record full of appeal.

Jacques Dersigny

Translation : Y. Philippot-Degand