Chris O’Leary – Blue Collar – Review
Alligator Records Chris O’Leary’s Blue Collar is exactly what its title promises: honest, hard-working blues built on lived experience. The veteran singer, songwriter and harmonica player has always brought authenticity to his music, but this latest release feels particularly personal, turning a lifetime of stories into a collection that is both timeless and relevant. The […]
Bywater Call – Broken Souvenirs – Review
Independent Bywater Call have delivered their most assured and emotionally resonant album to date with Broken Souvenirs. Fronted by the outstanding Meghan Parnell and driven by the tasteful guitar work of Dave Barnes, the seven-piece Canadian band continue to blur the lines between blues, soul, rock and Americana, creating a record that feels both deeply […]
Albert Castiglia – Grits & Glory – Review
Grits & Glory is Albert Castiglia’s fourth album for Gulf Coast Records and the fifteenth release of his career. It also arrives with an impressive footnote, having been recorded at London’s legendary Abbey Road Studios, specifically Studio Three, where Pink Floyd recorded Wish You Were Here. While the location is noteworthy, it is the music […]
Steve Cropper & The Midnight Hour – Watching The Tide – Review
Watching The Tide was completed before the sad passing of Steve Cropper in December 2025. Released posthumously, it serves as a reminder that even at the age of 84, Cropper still possessed the spark, creativity and musical authority that made him one of the most influential figures in modern music. Cropper’s professional career began in […]
BURNING ROPE, DISSOLUTION – review
Burning Rope return with Dissolution, a confident second album that continues to move beyond the musical foundations established by Catfish. Rather than relying on familiar blues-rock formulas, the band explore a wider palette of influences, blending blues, rock, soul, funk and progressive elements into a collection that consistently surprises. Opening track Waste sets the tone […]
SAMANTHA FISH, PAPER DOLL LIVE – review
Rounder Records On Paper Doll Live, Samantha Fish bottles the kind of high-voltage energy that separates good live performers from truly unforgettable ones. Captured at the legendary Bijou Theatre, the album doesn’t merely revisit the songs from Paper Doll, it tears them apart and rebuilds them as fierce, hard-hitting blues-rock workouts loaded with swagger, soul, […]
Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar deliver front-row magic on A Beautiful Buzz
Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar ignite every stage they touch, and A Beautiful Buzz captures that electricity at full throttle. Recorded at the height of their Love Is All Around tour, this 13-track live set does more than play songs. It lives them. From the opening surge of Love Is All Around, gospel-infused call-and-response grooves […]
Carmen Ratti Band find strength in subtle soul-blues on Come To Me
There is a quiet confidence running through the Carmen Ratti Band’s latest release, one that never feels the need to shout for attention. Recorded at Greaseland Studios under the guidance of producer Kid Andersen, Come To Me finds its strength in subtlety, sitting comfortably where soul, blues and modern R&B meet. It is a record […]
JP Soars and Anne Harris light the fuse on fearless Gypsy Blues Review
JP Soars has never been one to stay inside the lines, and Gypsy Blues Review finds him pushing that instinct even further. This is not a record that sits politely on the shelf. It crackles with the energy of musicians chasing the moment. Teaming up with violinist Anne Harris, Soars delivers a set that feels […]
Gina Coleman brings Ida Cox’s legacy roaring into the present on Uncrowned
Gina Coleman’s newest release does not simply revisit the past. It pulls it into the present, breathing fresh life into songs that still have plenty to say. This is no nostalgic tribute. It is a record that understands the blues as a living language, still able to cut deep and speak plainly. Best known as […]