Black Bayou
Easy Eye Sound, 2023
9/10
Even though he may have gotten a late start in the area of recorded music, the 70 year old career musician Robert Finley is making up for lost time with another batch of rugged blues songs.
The thumping and rhythmic “Livin’ Out Of A Suitcase” opens the listen with Finley’s expressive and gritty pipes alongside Dan Auerbach’s warm guitar and Eric Deaton’s playful bass lines, and “Sneakin’ Around” follows with much soul, where Patrick Carney’s skilled drums and Raay Mason’s bright trombone help make for plenty of melody.
Elsewhere, “Can’t Blame Me For Trying” uses Sam Bacco’s agile percussion and Kenny Brown’s guitar to cultivate a powerful and cozy landscape, while “Nobody Wants To Be Lonely” is populated by Ray Jacildo’s moody keys and well timed backing vocals from Christy Johnson and LaQuindrelyn McMahon for a rich, gospel spirited album highlight.
Deeper still, “You Got It (And I Need It)” places Jeffrey Clemens on drums to complement Finley’s diverse pipes, and “Alligator Bait” exits with an intimate moment of genuine and raw song craft, where the talking vs. singing carries plenty of southern blues swagger.
A genuine body of work that embraces funk, soul, blues and swampy ideas, Finley actually lost his sight in his 60’s, saw success on reality TV and has become a much adored storyteller of life in Louisiana, as evidenced by this 3rd exceptional album in 7 years.
Travels well with: Jackson + Sellers- Breaking Point; John R. Miller- Depreciated