Gary Clark Jr. - Blak and Blu (03/12/2012)
It's been a big year for Austin born and bred Gary Clark Jr.Gary Clark Jr., one that has seen him perform at festivals including Coachella and Lollapalooza, not to mention Jay Z's invite-only Labour Day weekend America Festival.
His name is red hot in the industry, and on listening to his debut Blak And Blu, it's obvious why. Clark Jr.'s sound is a modern take on the timeless genres of blues and soul. He takes the blues, with his deft guitar skills and gravelly vocals, into the shadowy corners of the roots niche, including the recently revived and always adored territory of R&B.
Highlights include the slow-burning romantic blues of You Saved Me, the distinctly Black Keys-esque Bright Lights, and the steady-as-a-train bittersweet nostalgia of Things Are Changin'.
Beyond that it's enough to say every song is solid, and the album in its entirety does not disappoint.
Having already done a brief sold-out stint in Australia in September this year, those of us who missed him will have to wait until Big Day Out 2013 to experience the purported genius live. The blues marvel is reportedly something to behold on stage, and his shows are fluid and unpredictable beasts that mutate to the atmosphere on the night.
The New York Times made the enormous claim that Gary Clark Jr. may be the next Hendrix. With his raw sex appeal and incredibly gritty guitar sound, he may indeed be cut of the same cloth. He is one of those old-fashioned rock stars who oozes charisma and screams heartbreaker.
Rebecca McCann
His name is red hot in the industry, and on listening to his debut Blak And Blu, it's obvious why. Clark Jr.'s sound is a modern take on the timeless genres of blues and soul. He takes the blues, with his deft guitar skills and gravelly vocals, into the shadowy corners of the roots niche, including the recently revived and always adored territory of R&B.
Highlights include the slow-burning romantic blues of You Saved Me, the distinctly Black Keys-esque Bright Lights, and the steady-as-a-train bittersweet nostalgia of Things Are Changin'.
Beyond that it's enough to say every song is solid, and the album in its entirety does not disappoint.
Having already done a brief sold-out stint in Australia in September this year, those of us who missed him will have to wait until Big Day Out 2013 to experience the purported genius live. The blues marvel is reportedly something to behold on stage, and his shows are fluid and unpredictable beasts that mutate to the atmosphere on the night.
The New York Times made the enormous claim that Gary Clark Jr. may be the next Hendrix. With his raw sex appeal and incredibly gritty guitar sound, he may indeed be cut of the same cloth. He is one of those old-fashioned rock stars who oozes charisma and screams heartbreaker.
Rebecca McCann