Help Yourself
Gulf Coast, 2025
9/10
In the area of modern blues, it doesn’t get much better than Blood Brothers, i.e. Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia, who are back with their signature blues, soul and rock thanks to these 10 tracks.
The rhythmic and powerful title track opens with Zito and Castiglia’s dense guitars alongside Scot Sutherland’s flowing bass lines, and “Can’t Be A Prophet” follows with Lewis Stephens’ well timed keys interacting with the hard hitting rhythm section.
The middle spot belongs to “Low Down”, where swirling guitars and thumping drums complement the sing-alongs, while “The Best I Can” emits plenty of soul via the heartfelt delivery.
“Running Out Of Time” and “Do What You Gotta” exit the listen. The former is a thick and gritty blues rocker that’s got plenty of rawness, and the latter blends the keys, guitars and drums into a fiery delivery that parallels the animated presence of their live shows.
If your ears enjoy anything blues related from any era, you’re not going to be disappointed with Blood Brothers, whose modern approach and authentic and passionate performance is nothing short of stunning.
Travels well with: Blood Brothers- Live In Canada; Mike Zito- Life Is Hard