Driving Towards the Daylight (J & R Adventures, 2012)
Be prepared because Joe Bonamassa’s latest recording Driving Towards the Daylight is a right jab, a left hook, and a roundhouse kick all rolled into one. Kick ass to the core and laced with savage licks, Driving Towards the Daylight goes a long way to prove that rock music still has got the moves, and with some sharp elbows, and that the blues are just as deadly as the edges of a broken bottle. And, baby, it’s all good – deeply, deliciously good.
Coming on the heels of a 2011 Best Rock Blues Album for his Dust Bowl release and an appearance with Billy Gibbons and Derek Truck for Freddie King’s induction into the Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Mr. Bonamassa is hitting the airwaves with his 13th recording on his own J & R Adventures label along with producer Kevin “Caveman” Shirley of Black Cowes, Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin fame.
Pooling a collection of Bonamassa originals and goodies by the likes of Robert Johnson, Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon and Tom Waits, Driving Towards the Daylight sizzles in familiar Bonamassa tradition. The wicked guitar licks, razor sharp vocals and sneaky, low down rhythms on this recording are enough to make one drive too fast, drink too much and love the wrong person.
Opening with “Dislocated Boy” before moving on to such goodies like “Stone in My Passway,” “Who’s Been Talking?” with an spoken intro by Howlin’ Wolf himself, “I Got All You Need” and “Lonely Town Lonely Street,” fans get well-deserved doses of Mr. Bonamassa’s signature guitar brilliance and his edgy vocals. Add to that a little dobro, organ, brass and Anton Fig’s percussion, well, it just doesn’t get any better.
Bonamassa fans can soothe their ravaged souls with tracks like “Driving Towards the Daylight,” “A Place in My Heart” and the deftly bluesy “New Coat of Paint.” If that weren’t enough there’s the spectacularly good closing track “Too Much Ain’t Enough Love” with vocals by Jimmy Barnes and rhythm guitar by Brad Whitford.
Wrapped tighter than a bunch of Hell’s Angels on Saturday night and saucier than a juke joint honey, Driving Towards the Daylight is unabashedly good.
Listen to samples, buy CD or MP3s in North America
Buy the album in Europe.