When the first song on a blues album includes the line “All her friends was on Facebook,” you can assume that the artist isn’t living in the past—especially when the same song, “Tired of Being a Housewife,” later finds its heroine buying condoms at Walgreens. Sure enough, Hooker Jr. lands a million miles away from the spooky, minimal brand of blues pioneered by his legendary dad. He’s a crowd-pleaser at heart, keeping his music upbeat and his wit sharp.

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As the opening tune indicates, Hooker Jr. can be an offbeat lyricist, and it often seems he’s trying to work in as many modern references as possible. The biggest stretch is “Must Be the Meds,” which attributes his late nights and strange dreams to antidepressants—not really that different from the countless blues songs about the similar effects of alcohol. “Tears in My Eyes” is likely the first soul ballad where the singer complains that nobody sends him any texts. The title track is autobiographical as he gets, scoring a zinger about his tough childhood (“Daddy was a bluesman, mama was a housekeeper/ To describe my life in two words: creature feature”) before crediting Jesus for getting him out of the mess.

Musically, Hooker stays in more comfortable territory, and co-writer/producer Larry Batiste (not related to New Orleans’ Batiste dynasty) gives the sound a layer of polish, even using strings on the finale. As a rare blues frontman who doesn’t play an instrument, he doesn’t allow much space for big solos, even on the one slow blues, “Hard Times.” Instead he surrounds himself with players who can churn out a groove without upstaging his vocals. A duet with Betty Wright, “I Surrender,” has the feel of a vintage Stax track, complete with Cropper-esque guitar licks right out of “Soul Man.” The carnival-styled New Orleans homage “Listen to the Music” has a strong Little Feat flavor, with Batiste’s freewheeling piano smacking of Bill Payne. Only “Tell It Like It Is” (not the Aaron Neville one) harks back to the grittier Chicago style. It’s a mainstream blues album with class and a few left curves.