With Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench prominent in both outfits, Mudcrutch sounds very much like The Heartbreakers with a bit of country swing.
Reunited in 2008 to record an album they never had a chance to do before Petty and The Heartbreakers started their ascension, Mudcrutch is far more than a curious piece of nostalgia.
Every song on 2 could easily find a home on a Petty album, but with the other members of the band taking turns at the mike, there is just enough difference to make this anything but a time-filler for Petty's main gig.
• Mudcrutch. 2. Reprise.
• Four and a half stars (out of five)
Single download: Beautiful Blue
For those who like: The Band, Bob Dylan, The Byrds
- Mark Orton