External Combustion

by Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs, Mike Campbell

Overview

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

Product Details

Release Date:	04/15/2022
Label:	BMG Rights Management
UPC:	4050538750904

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Dirty Knobs   Primary Artist
Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs   Primary Artist
Mike Campbell   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Leah Katz   Viola
Lance Morrison   Bass,Vocals (Background)
Matt Laug   Drums,Percussion,Vocals (Background)
Katisse Buckingham   Sax (Tenor),Sax (Baritone)
Ian Hunter   Piano,Vocals,Featured Artist
Daphne Chen   Strings,Violin
Jason Sinay   Guitar,Vocals
George Drakoulias   Vocals,Percussion,Vocals (Background)
Benmont Tench   Piano
Charlie Bisharat   Violin
Giovanna Clayton   Cello
Gabriel Johnson   Trumpet
Margo Price   Vocals,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
Erm Navarro   Trombone

Technical Credits

Martin Pradler   Mixing,Engineer,Mastering
Patrick Warren   Arranger,Horn Arrangements,String Arrangements
Wrenne Evans   Photography
Mike Campbell   Producer,Composer
Chris Bellman   Engineer
Jack Doutt   Engineer
Miles Wintner   Cover Art
George Drakoulias   Producer
Steve Winstead   Technical Crew
Dennis Dibrizzi   Photography
Chris Phelps   Photography
Sheva Kafai   Photography