The Blasters’ debut album, released on the tiny Southern California indie Rollin’ Rock, was called American Music, about as clear a declaration as one could ask for. This follow-up, released on Slash and picked up by Warner Bros., has a richer and fuller sound (they started out as a quartet, before adding piano and two saxophonists), but the band absolutely lives up to their name, blasting the listener with a mix of rockabilly, jump blues, and hybrid forms — “Marie Marie,” this album’s thrilling opener, crosses Chuck Berry with the Balfa Brothers, an acoustic Cajun band. There are a few covers here, like Sunnyland Slim’s “Highway 61,” Rudy Toombs’ “I’m Shakin’,” Bo Diddley’s “I Love You So,” and Jimmie Rodgers’ “Never No More Blues,” but the emphasis (seven out of 12 tracks) is on guitarist Dave Alvin’s songs, which blend romanticism with blue-collar detail in a manner worthy of Merle Haggard. His solos are short but stunning, pulling from Cliff Gallup of Gene Vincent’s Blue Caps in the same way Billy Zoom of X drew from Chuck Berry, and vocalist Phil Alvin, his big brother, delivers the lyrics in a passionate but joyful style designed to get a packed bar shouting along on the choruses and swaying to the weepers. The band’s secret weapon is drummer Bill Bateman — his performance on “No Other Girl” will give you heart palpitations.