Jerry Joseph claims a respectable reputation as a heartland troubadour—one whose deeply rooted conviction makes him musical kin to Springsteen, Fogerty and Mellencamp. He’s an assertive artist who’s unafraid to rail against outrage and injustice in an increasingly tattered world. Backed by his usual outfit, Joseph’s output remains as effusive as ever, whether engaging in the anthemic rant that accompanies “Sweet Baba Jay” (“Now we’re burning the sage and enchantments/ Recanting the blood in our bones”), surging on the strength of the petulant and persistent “3-7-77” or slowly slinking his way through the sprawling blues of “Wild Wild West.” However, as ominous as the music sometimes seems, Joseph’s not afraid to let his vulnerable side show. The cooing gospel choir that softly chimes in on the rocksteady “Think on These Things,” the delicate dying embers of “Buddha Jim,” and the ragged-though-resilient “Late Heavy Bombardment” speak to both his commitment and concern. “I will never let you down… til the day that I die,” he promises on “The Eyes,” and indeed, given the resolve that Weird Blood brings to the fore, there’s never any cause to doubt his word.