The Whiskey Daredevils humbly follow up their debut, Greatest Hits, with a sophomore effort titled The Essential Whiskey Daredevils. And there’s truth in the self-aggrandizing irony; the Cleveland quintet’s sound consists of finely crafted roots rock and irreverent humor, making every one of the record’s 20 cuts enjoyable like a night at the bar.

The group masterfully moves between honky-tonk, rockabilly, surf, and blues, all without forgetting that great rock benefits from a countering roll. The swinging rhythm section supplies a nice foundation for the red-hot guitar tandem to create scorching vintage riffs. Adding to the fun are singer Greg Miller’s hilariously warped lyrics, which find truckers hurling piss jugs out windows for a good time (“Trucker Bomb”) and Jesus rolling high at the casino (“Jesus Walks Beside Me”). Essential indeed.

This article appears in Jan 10-16, 2007.