American Primitive is an appropriate title for Jeremiah Lockwood’s debut album.  Lockwood writes and plays tunes steeped in American roots music, especially the blues. The opener, “You are My Shadow” is a cleverly written piece that gives the staple “You are My Sunshine” a darker turn and features Lockwood on lead banjo with Kieran McGee sharing vocal parts.  From there, comes a bluesy segue with the classic Jerry Reed tune, “Baby What You Want Me to Do?”

Despite his youth and Big Apple roots, Lockwood has cultivated a raspy vocal style befitting someone weaned on Delta Blues.  On American Primitive, he and his band veer between more folksy material and more traditional electric numbers.  Listening to the album is like a cross country trip through time, traveling from one decade to the next, one part of the country to another, as Lockwood covers many of the predominant roots styles of 20th Century American music.

Favorite Track: Track 5, “The Moon is Rising”