Redemption
J&R Adventures, 2018
8/10
This 13th studio album from the always impressive and inimitable Joe Bonamassa brings in some strong players, including Reese Wynans on keys, Anton Fig holding down percussion and Michael Rhodes handling bass guitar to name a few.
“Evil Mama” starts the listen with energetic percussion as Bonamassa’s signature guitar acrobatics enter the brass friendly blues rock setting, and “King Bee Shakedown” continues the party with a dance friendly, and festive horn delivery where slide guitar impresses amid the boogie rock.
Moving along, “Self-Inflicted Wounds” trims the pace back to emotive balladry with plenty of power that flirts with gritty rock, while “Pick Up The Pieces” gets playful with keys and a soulful swagger that get theatrical. “Just ‘Cos You Don’t Mean You Should”, one of the album’s best, then offers some of Bonamassa’s best singing in the soaring environment where there’s no shortage of melody to the quintessential blues rock tune.
Deeper into the listen, “I’ve Got Some Mind Over What Matters” takes nods to old school ideas and delta blues where dynamic interplay between piano, guitar and percussion shines bright, and “Love Is A Gamble” finishes off the listen with sublime guitar work from Bonamassa that’s matched by the precise horn work.
Redemption didn’t waste anytime charting at #1 for blues albums, and even hit #2 for rock albums. It’s not hard to see why as Bonamassa and company offer one of his most diverse records to date.
Travels well with: North Mississippi Allstars- Up And Rolling; Reese Wynans And Friends- Sweet Release