Me & My Guitar
Self-Released, 2021
8/10
A veteran songwriter with many hits under his belt, this solo album from Kent Blazy welcomes help from Josh Martin as he pens an album during the pandemic lockdown about his observations on the state of the world.
“When This Is All Over” opens the listen with warm acoustic guitar alongside Blazy’s rugged yet smooth singing in the very topical song about life during Covid, and “Just Another Old Man” follows with poetic singing amid the gentle guitar as folk qualities enter with much beauty.
Elsewhere, the intricate progressions of “Rabbit Hole” and backing vocals make for a calm, rootsy delivery about the ills of social media, while the title track offers an eloquent and romantic album highlight that’s bare but quite impactful.
Further still, “The Future Ain’t What It Used To Be” is a tune most of us will recognize, and here it’s delivered with Blazy’s pipes it’s a cozy and stirring tune, and “The Times They Are A Changing” exits the listen with a charming version of the Bob Dylan classic amid a more country oriented approach.
Even if the name isn’t familiar to you, you’ve heard Blazy’s work via artists like Garth Brooks, Gary Morris, Diamond Rio, Patty Loveless and Chris Young, to name a few. Having seven #1 songs on your resume is no easy feat, and these well thought out tracks certainly only solidify Blazy as one of the best songwriters of this generation.
Travels well with: Riley Downing- Start It Over; Riddy Arman- Riddy Arman