JOE BONAMASSA: Redemption (BLUES): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Since 2000, Joe Bonamassa's discography is impressive to say the least. Between his studio and live opus, his bands (Black Country Communion and Rock Candy Funk Party) and his collaborations with Beth Hart or Mahalia Barnes, it's no less than forty albums that the brilliant guitarist-singer has already offered to his fans. In the current year, "Redemption", new solo album, is the third release after "Black Coffee" with Beth Hart and the live "British Blues Explosion".

Although he did not go into detail on the subject, Joe Bonamassa admitted that he was going through a painful period from a personal point of view. For this third album, composed only of tracks of his own creation, the artist will nevertheless indulge himself through a few tracks on which the emotion will touch the listener at the bottom of his soul. If 'Deep In The Blues Again' plays highway-song against a background of twilight, the ballad 'Self-Infected Wounds' becomes desperate and deep, yet giving a pale hope through a luminous solo. Alternating shadow and light, the monumental eponymous title varies the intensity with an evocative power of every moment and a new glowing solo. 'I've Got Some Mind Over What Matters' is also inspired by the artist's torments but becomes more groovy and catchy before 'Stronger Now In Broken Places' reveals itself as a poignant personal title with its simple acoustic guitar wrapped in sounds created by Jim Moginie (Midnight Oil) and Kate Ston.

Alternating with these moments of pure and mastered emotions, Joe Bonamassa varies the pleasures, slipping in a few barely disguised tributes to Led Zeppelin during a riff or a break ('Evil Mama', 'Molly O' ', 'Redemption'). The hurricane 'Evil Mama' devastate everything in its path with a communicative energy before 'King Bee Shakedown' took away the remains with its irresistible freshness between a rockabilly worthy of Brian Setzer and a boogie-blues with the accents of ZZ Top. Darker and heavier, 'Molly O' reminds us of the hard rock influences of the owner of the place. The dobro is released on a slightly jazzy 'Pick Up The Pieces' reminiscent of Tom Waits, while 'The Ghost Of Macon Jones' sees James Johnson sharing the vocals with Joe to tell us the story of a renegade peasant on a country Rock background. Finally, 'Just 'Cos You Can Don't Mean You Should' and 'Love Is A Gamble' present the most classic side of Joe Bonamassa's blues-rock, both old school and unstoppable.

Recorded between Nashville, Sydney, Las Vegas and Miami and composed with Nashville legends Tom Hambridge, James House, Greg Gary Nicholson, Richard Page and Dion Di Mucci, this new opus shines like a diamond at the top of the American genius's palace of works. Joe Bonamassa is a master of his art and knows how to put his talent at the disposal of the emotions to be transmitted. Varied, without the slightest flaw and dazzling with feeling, "Redemption" knocks out the competition and definitively imposes the undeniable but benevolent domination of its author. - Official website

JOE BONAMASSA

REDEMPTION

AUTRE LABEL

BLUES