BY BOB GULLA

BLACKSTONE VALLEY SINNERS' DEBUT.
Got my hands on the much-anticipated shimmering disc produced by the Blackstone Valley Sinners recently and haven't been able to take it off the spinner. Of course, anything featuring Rich Gilbert on guitar is gonna sound pretty good. But the Sinners' self-titled debut is a baker's dozen sweet sounding country tunes, western instrumentals, Duane Eddy-ish reverb workouts, and simple, vintage pop led by Gilbert's exquisite twang, Cessna's wry vocal commentary and quavering throat, and former Boogerhead Judith Ann's concise work on bass. Oh, yeah, there's a drum machine, too. Gilbert, formerly of the Zulus/Frank Black/Steve Wynn and many others, hops from banjo to Telecaster to steel guitar, adding a rainbow of rootsy colors to the BVS sound. It's a wild, diverse pop entertainment. Apparently, the band is shopping the debut to labels. With an accomplished product like this and loads of talent to back it all up, there should be no problem getting this baby in stores in no time.