Gary Clark Jr. is at a crossroads. His new major label is poising the musician as a “new voice” on the rock and blues scene, yet the guitar prodigy longtime Austin singer/songwriter/instrumentalist has been playing locally for over a decade and produced multiple records on his own label, Hotwire Unlimited. His live shows, including this year’s SXSW showcase, feature a scintillating, multi-faceted and extremely talented performer yet his latest full-length, Blak & Blu, is routinely dismissed by critics as overproduced and eclectic to a fault. Having enjoyed this album repeatedly, I’d encourage Clark to keep on doing his thing, because it is pretty damn impressive. Centered in blues but brought to life with swathes of soul, funk, R&B and even hip-hop, the thirteen tracks include a number reworked from his previous albums, samples from Gil Scott-Heron and Albert King, and even an almost 10 minute lovingly indulgent medley of Jimi Hendrix’s “Third Stone From the Sun” and Little Johnny Taylor’s “If You Love Me Like You Say.” Love him or not, Clark Jr. is poised to be the next breakout blues rock star and he deserves it. – Written by SMarx
SIMILAR | Alabama Shakes, Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, The Black Keys, Charles Bradley, John The Conqueror