CD Review by Doug Cornell

There's always a place in any music fan's collection for some eclectic, laid back folky blues.  The Burgeois Gypsies (who are perfectly named for their style of music) rely on the combined vocals and acoustic guitars Arnold Mitchem and Kaisa MacDonald.  There sound is relaxed California blues rock.  The production is first-rate, and both Mitchem and MacDonald are talented singers and guitar players.

Blue Morning opens with "Gypsy Girl," which features a melodic dual-acoustic guitar melody, a pleasant, rollicking beat, and a solid vocals.  "Sugarplum" is a bluesy track that you might expect from Jack White in his "Cold Mountain" performance.  Tasty electric guitars and MacDonald's crisp vocals propel the slow-burning track "Slide," while "Pink Clouds" is a nice acoustic rocker.

The Bourgeois Gypsies know when it's time to slow the tempo ("Skin"), but it's the track "Blue Morning" that demonstrates the at the Gypsies know how to create a truly original sound.  While mostly breaking from the acoustic blues, "Blue Morning" uses a subtle acoustic guitar melody as a bed for MacDonald's haunting vocals.  The song's chorus is the best on the album, and really causes the listener to sit up and take notice.

The band takes us back to confident California rock reminiscent of the Eagles ("Laredo Holiday"), then rock it up a bit with a clever descending bass/guitar romp ("Middle of Nowhere"). 

One can't help but imagine that the Bourgeois Gypsies are an amazing live act.  As demonstrated on the title track and "Middle of Nowhere," they are capable of producing modern rock that still fits within their vision of the California sound.