Around the time that Jon Butcher assembled Electric Factory, the musician/songwriter was also shifting his career focus away from solo rock performing. Film and television soundtracks were becoming his new bag. Working out of his studio that shares this record's name, Butcher began to specialize in traditional American music for producers looking to add an earthy tone to their cinematic vision. Hoping to become a kind of down-home Danny Elfman, Butcher began writing emotive, bluesy songs, dripping with gospel and rural imagery. Electric Factory is a bonus collection of the blues-rock tracks that were born out of Butcher's feverish woodshedding. If this International Blues Bureau release was more of a textural showpiece than a conceptual statement, it's still a powerful effort. The Ry Cooder-meets-Steve Earle "The Coleman Mine" is a mellow highlight. But more aggressive numbers like "Rocket Ship" and "Gambler" provide the mid-tempo rock pulse of Electric Factory. Not exactly important or groundbreaking, this 1996 offering still should be a fine addition to any modern blues-rock fan's collection. ~ Vincent Jeffries
