Oh, hell yeah.

Ethan Miller’s Howlin’ Rain aren’t so much a proper band as an unabashed AOR fantasy camp—a satanic Doobie Brothers to complement Comets on Fire’s mangling of Blue Cheer. A free download from the forthcoming Magnificent Fiend, “Dancers At the End of Time” doesn’t skimp on the awesome clichés. Nobody leans on the Hammond organ like this anymore, and the groove is pure 1972, with ferocious fuzz solos periodically giving way to cleanly strummed chords and a funk bassline that must purposely rip off Clapton’s “Badge” at 3:34. Miller’s vocals are still a ridiculous parody of British R&B white boys like Deep Purple’s Ian Gillian and Terry Reid, and he’s higher in the mix than ever before, pontificating on such topics as “beautiful fall painted leaves” and a Jesus who will “SHINE ON YOU RIGHTLY!”

Slightly beefed up production values aside, “Dancers” sounds no different than any track on Howlin’ Rain’s fantastic 2006 debut, nor does it differ much in spirit from anything that either of Miller’s two outfits have laid to wax in the past five years. It’s simply another glorious celebration of classic rock radio tailor-made for long drives or a kegger on the 4th of July. Methinks the man wouldn’t have it any other way.

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