After five studio releases, Mark turned his focus fully to the blues in 2009 with Life of Illusion. The song “Boxcar Blues” from that album became a crowd favorite, filling dance floors every time it’s played. Mark followed up with 2011’s Built to Last; 2014’s One Way Ride to the Blues; 2016’s Playing Rough; 2019’s On a Roll; and 2023’s Nasty Business. Mark is a charismatic frontman and soulful guitarist, with a mix of sincerity, honesty, and humor, and a vocal range that moves from baritone to full-on growl. His original lyrics draw the listener in.

The ensemble includes Cameron on lead vocals and guitar; Bill Keyes on harmonica and backing vocals; Dan Schroeder and Greg Schutte on drums; and Mark’s wife and soulmate, Sheri Cameron, on saxophone, flute, and percussion. The bass duties are shared by Nick Salisbury, Steve Hansen, and Josh Granowski. The horn section features Shane Cox on trumpet and trombone, and Zach Miller on tenor sax. Tommy Barbarella plays piano, Hammond organ, and Wurlitzer. Additional backing vocalists include Sara Renner and Tonya Hughes. The album was produced by Cameron, engineered by Schutte, and recorded at Bathtub Shrine Studios in Minneapolis, MN.

The lead-off track, “The Wrong Thing,” is a high-powered blues shuffle driven by the stinging electric Delta slide guitar of Cameron. It’s about the irony of a person with good intentions but terrible timing, as Cameron sings, “When did it all go wrong? If you want me for a reason, tell me. If you want me to stay away, tell me. I always seem to feel like I’m doing the wrong thing.”

“Too Hot to Boogie” is a nostalgic tale complete with Gene Krupa-style drumming from Schroeder. The old-school hot rod becomes a metaphor for a relationship that can’t get out of first gear. With the summer heat rising, your radiator’s gonna boil over with this one as Cameron chimes, “Can’t figure out why it’s been so long. It’s too hot to boogie, it’s too hot to boogie,” joined by a lively call-and-response from the choir.

The title track, “Blues Factory,” tells a familiar story about a love affair that starts out wild and free, only to fall into factory-like routine as time moves on. Accented by Sheri Cameron’s flute, the song reveals that what’s being built inside the factory isn’t what the couple thinks at all. Cameron sings, “It’s been a wild ride for you and me. Before we got together, we were wild and free. We’re at the end of the road, it’s quittin’ time. You go your way and I’ll go mine.”

“Drink on the Job” is a tongue-in-cheek bit of wit about mixing business with pleasure—“What’s in your thermos ain’t exactly coffee.” Chaos follows, as Cameron moans, “She was drivin’ a cab in New York City… then she started working nights at a security job watching TVs. She fell asleep—that’s what happens when you drink on the job.”

“Sugar” is a sweet Memphis-style soul tune, a celebration of love that turns into full-blown obsession. Featuring Barbarella’s Hammond B-3 and the full horn section, Cameron groans, “Hey, it’s time for me to tell the truth—I got a sweet tooth. You’re the one thing I can’t resist. Now I’m going back to find what’s inside… it never tasted like this. Well, I can’t deny my head starts spinning. I need to have you—it never tastes like this.”

“Can’t Stand Still” is a boogie about a girl who loves to dance, featuring more great harp from Keyes as Cameron belts out, “I can’t stand still, I have to go the extra mile, ’cause I can’t stand still. I never played by the rules, but tonight I can’t stand still.”

“Change Your Ways” is a slow blues number featuring a soulful, melodic guitar passage and Steve Hansen’s massive bass attack. It’s a cautionary tale about someone whose words don’t match their deeds. Karma is inevitable, as Cameron warns, “What you learn from, what you’re running into—was it something that you done or something that was done to you? What you’re doing now, you can’t say no one tried. You’re gonna have to change your ways.”

“Friends Like These” features more standout harmonica as Cameron shouts, “My friends can count on me to do what’s right, but sometimes they let me down. With friends like these, who needs enemies?”

“Ain’t No Way” is a soulful story about two people who don’t believe they deserve each other. It explores how differences attract, with a hypnotic groove from Hansen and Schroeder that seeps under your skin as Cameron pleads, “There ain’t no way… you shouldn’t jump on the first thing you see. You got it all—all I got is you. What if I give you everything and you still want more? So you find a way to do it all alone. Maybe it’s time to let down your guard.”

On “Below the Bottom,” Cameron croons about how you sometimes have to hit bottom before you can climb back up. It’s a greasy kind of groove as he sings, “If you’re looking for trouble, that’s all I need. Looking up from the bottom, you’ll have plenty of company. You got nowhere to go but up when you’re below the bottom.”

An oft-heard criticism of blues music is that it’s too simple or formulaic, rarely reflecting modern themes. On his ninth album, Blues Factory, Mark Cameron proves otherwise. With a solid band behind him, he makes the most of his songwriting skills as he tells stories of life, love, and the complicated world in which we live.

—Richard Ludmerer