Jake Stigers: No Vacancy

The younger brother of Curtis Stigers can certainly hold his own when it comes to making great pop rock. The seven-track album gets off to a good, rocking start with “Ride With You” that has all the Southern-fried strut and swagger of the Black Crowes or the Stones. Just as appealing is the moody, mid-tempo and hook-riddled “End of the World”, which seems to have a great deal of roots oomph coming off of it. But the singer-songwriter can also tone it down for a finer, acoustic effort such as “She’s a Woman” that glides along without a care in the world. A cover of John Hiatt’s “Riding With the King” is a bit of a stretch, much like it was for Eric Clapton and his attempt at the same song with B.B. King. But things get back on track with the quirky but effective tale of being at home with family during “House of Your Own”. A soulful “Slow Time” also seems to work quite nicely.