by Thom JurekThe fact that Darrell Nulisch was nominated for a W.C. Handy Award does mean something in the blues world. Times Like These does make a person wonder why, though. While it's true that Nulisch's voice is deeply expressive and rings loud and clear in the way Joe Turner's did -- albeit much smoother in delivery -- and he's a more than adequate harp player, the material here is generic at best. This record, with its tightly arranged and conducted horn charts, muted, stylistic B-3, rounded-off lead guitar solos, and in-the-pocket drums, sounds exactly like what it is for the most part: a blues record made in New England. What passes for guttural blues here is played a bit sloppier by your local bar band. But blues isn't the only thing that Nulisch tackles here, thank goodness. It's his soul tunes, both his originals and his cover of Smokey Robinson's "Don't Look Back." Here is where Nulisch shows his gift as a singer; he moves just be...