Ethan Askey & The Elevators Have Plenty to Say in New Single "Big Bad Bossman" and Soulful Roots and Blues Album 'Outside the Lines'

The useful part

The upbeat blues shuffle takes aim at every petty tyrant who ever mistook control for strength. Askey wrote the lyric about a universal figure, any bully or leader whose insecurity and self-regard gets in the way of good living. Anyone can relate to the song about power dynamics and reclaiming your footing, set to a rhythm that refuses to sit still.

How it works

• "You may act the big dog, you may call the shots," Askey sings, before adding with a wink, "but how you do that is the rub,...
• While it is the second track in the album sequence, the single is a good entry point for the album as it wears its blues lineage proudly.
• "Big Bad Bossman" stands squarely in the footprint of blues pioneer Jimmy Reed.

Details worth keeping

Driven by frontman Askey's baritone vocals and tasty harmonica blowing, the song also features Keith Larsen's explosive guitar playing over a locomotive rhythm section of drummer Ben Dunn and bassist Mike Honeyman, who keep the groove rolling.