Seattle Blues guitarist Brett Benton’s excellent debut album, You Got to Pray, is a strong set of Mississippi Hill Country inspired blues with scorching guitar hooks and hypnotic rhythms. The album was recorded in Water Valley, Mississippi at Dial Back Sound with Bronson Tew (Dom Flemons, Water Liars) resulting in ten original tracks and an inspired cover of Mississippi Fred McDowell’s “Kokomo.” Standout tracks include: the burning blues number “I Got A .45”; the swamp blues on “Alligator”; the lonesome blues number, “Hard Love”; the sparse gospel-tinged title-track; and the rambling instrumental “Evergreen.” Benton’s You Got to Pray is an exceptional blues release that channels many of the greats that have come before him such as Mississippi Fred McDowell, R.L. Burnside, and Junior Kimbrough. Benton is a young artist to keep an eye on. – Written by JFelton
SIMILAR | Cedric Burnside, Gary Clark Jr., Fantastic Negrito, Junior Kimbrough, R.L. Burnside