Mike Campbell opts to put his name on the marquee on
External Combustion, the second album from his
Dirty Knobs. The change is surely a matter of marketing -- it's easier to bring in audiences if they know for a fact this is a band featuring the
Heartbreakers guitarist -- but it also signals how
External Combustion isn't quite as much a band album as their 2020 debut,
Wreckless Abandon. Make no mistake, this 2022 affair shares many of the same attributes -- it's rooted in the rock & pop & blues of the 1960s, it's once again co-produced by
George Drakoulias -- but it's not quite as rough and garagey as the debut. Apart from "Lightning Boogie," a rave-up that features keyboards by fellow
Heartbreaker Benmont Tench, there's not much jamming here. Rather, there's a lot of texture derived from cannily overdubbed acoustic guitars and harmonies, and tastefully deployed string sections that embellish a thick web of chiming guitars; there are also sharp cameos by
Ian Hunter on the grinding rocker "Dirty Job" and
Margo Price on the bittersweet ballad "State of Mind." Every element accentuates the song itself, which means
External Combustion sounds a lot like a latter-day
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers album, a connection strengthened by how
Campbell chooses to lean into the slight Southern sneer inherent in his voice. This is by no means a bad thing. By embracing his role as
Petty's lieutenant while not abandoning the casual down-and-dirty groove of
the Dirty Knobs,
Campbell has wound up with a record that delivers a kick that's not unlike what
the Heartbreakers did with
Hypnotic Eye: it's handsomely crafted classic rock played with flair, wit, and precision, elements that make familiar tropes seem fresh. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
![Stage Fright [50th Anniversary]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0602507352394_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "Stage Fright [50th Anniversary]")
