Traditional Texas blues has a fresh voice in J.T. Coldfire. You'll get no mixed styles here. It's all real blues with no apologies. Throughout the entire album, the guitar work comes first and foremost.
The guitar solos on the title track feature some exemplary playing. Something about the freeness with which he goes at it here recalls Page's guitar work on his more bluesy songs (like on Led Zeppelin's cover of “You Shook Me”). “Hangin Tree” (track 8), shows off the other half (besides being a guitarist, pianist, etc.) of what makes a great blues musician. Coldfire's strong tenor voice is at its best on this tune. He belts it out with feeling and strength. “Sweet Little Isa” also really shows off his soulful singing to good effect.
And what would a blues album be without a good story-song or two? Hopefully you've never had anything going on in your life like what happens in “Bad Day,” but whether you have or not, it's a lot of fun to listen to! If you're prone to stopping in at strange watering holes then you would do well to listen to the 'moral' of that story. If you're a longtime fan of the blues this would make a good addition to your collection. If you're a fan of blues rock this could be a nice transition into that older and more pure sound of the genre. Either way, you owe it to yourself as a blues fan to check out Crazy Sun.
Key Tracks- Crazy Sun, Hangin Tree, Bad Day
Donny Harvey- MuzikReviews.com Staff
July 28, 2011