Gary Clark Jr. - Blak and Blu

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    If your musical palette is varied and you enjoy a mix of blues, rock, alt-rock, metal and soul, then Blak and Blu, Gary Clark, Jr's first major label release from Capitol Records is a pure joy and a must add to your collection. Entering the Billboard charts at #6 after only two weeks of release, it's heartening to see that roots music, the blues and old school rock can still find a contemporary audience. Clark's last EP, Bright Lights, released in August 2011, has sold a respectable 80,000 copies thus far. His team deployed a strategy of constant exposure, getting their artist in front of as many people as possible to spread awareness. Throughout 2012, according to his label, Clark played more music festivals than any other U.S. musician around. Clark has said he has spent 75% of the last 18 months touring. If Blak and Blu is any indication, his time on the road has not been wasted.

    If your musical palette is varied and you enjoy a mix of blues, rock, alt-rock, metal and soul, then Blak and Blu, Gary Clark, Jr's first major label release from Capitol Records is a pure joy and a must add to your collection. Entering the Billboard charts at #6 after only two weeks of release, it's heartening to see that roots music, the blues and old school rock can still find a contemporary audience. Clark's last EP, Bright Lights, released in August 2011, has sold a respectable 80,000 copies thus far. His team deployed a strategy of constant exposure, getting their artist in front of as many people as possible to spread awareness. Throughout 2012, according to his label, Clark played more music festivals than any other U.S. musician around. Clark has said he has spent 75% of the last 18 months touring. If Blak and Blu is any indication, his time on the road has not been wasted.

    An Austin, TX native, Gary Clark, Jr. began playing guitar at age 12. By age 18, Clark was winning awards and being mentored by Austin's finest. One of his mentors, Jimmie Vaughan, was instrumental in connecting Clark with Eric Clapton, which led to a 2010 appearance at the Crossroads Festival and opened doors to the success that soon thereafter landed in Clark's life. Already having released three prior projects on the indie label Hotwire Unlimited, it was only a matter of time before word about the mastery of his guitar-playing skills spread.

    There are so many different styles represented, the album’s lack of cohesiveness can be jarring. It may have been impossible to sequence 13 songs (two extra with the iTunes Deluxe Edition) in any kind of logical order, although lyrically it seems that love thematically rules on this disc. In a recent interview with The New York Times, Clark stated that, "I was thinking if I ever got to this point, I would love to just put it all out there and not filter, and not be in a box." Credit must be given to his co-producers, Mike Elizondo (Dr. Dre, Fiona Apple) and Rob Cavallo (Green Day), for respecting Clark's vision. Blak and Blu truly showcases the virtuosity of a natural. The guitar artistry of this project deserves repeated listening. So full of skill and emotion, Clark’s solos will have you pressing repeat over and over.

    Starting with "Ain't Messin' Around" a horn infused rocker that references DC go-go music and Lenny Kravitz, its guitar solo offers a taste of what's to come. However, the Kravitz comparisons quickly disappear once Clark’s able vocals arrive. Another smoking hot guitar solo on "When My Train Pulls In" delivers a bluesy romp reminiscent of '70s era Robin Trower; even at 7:46 minutes long, time flies by. Its follow up, "Blak and Blu," is a mellow soul tune showcasing the gifted 28-year old’s smooth vocal chops.

    The vocals aren’t always leaning toward silken R&B. With his cover of Jimmy Reed's" Bright Lights, Big City" completely remade into his own vision, Clark employs the use of a chunky, fuzzy guitar sound with a gritty vocal to match the lyrics’ proud statement of letting everyone know "you're gonna know my name." "Travis County" is straight-ahead rock and roll with its catchy "woo-hoo" hook and music that sounds like a composition Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis supplied. With "The Life," Clark offers a laid-back groove that was heard all over alternative radio back in the '90s, very Southern California in vibe and lyrics. "Glitter Ain't Gold," with its chugging wah-wah guitar wailing into a wicked solo over a lyric about lessons learned and a vocal to match turned this song into an old-school metal memory.

    One of the greatest gifts of Gary Clark, Jr. is honoring the old, but adding a fresh twist to it all. For example, "Numb" offers instant recognition with an intro very similar to The Beatles’ "Come Together," but it slows down to a blues metal grind and lyrics sharing a tale of relationship trouble. "Please Come Home" is a beautiful, dreamy song that sounds like something right out of 1959, with falsetto vocals and lush background harmonies, but is updated with another guitar solo, horns and strings as sweeteners. A showstopper, "Things Are Changin'" is a love song about relationship trials and tribulations, with a complimentary bass line and a vocal so emotional that Clark makes you feel he’s lived this song.

    At 9:38 minutes long, "Third Stone from the Sun/If You Love Me Like You Say" (originally by Jimi Hendrix and Little Johnny Taylor) is the tour de force of Blak and Blu. The cover best displays Clark’s years of disciplined learning and the respect he shows for the classics, but there are other illustrations. At home on any alternative rock station, "You Saved Me" is another love letter but this time with a heavy-handed grunge, simple lyrics and a vocal whose range effortlessly swings from high to low. Done in Robert Johnson's style, "Next Door Neighbor Blues" is ‘30s era blues, composed on an old Gibson acoustic guitar, accompanied by a simple drum and a world-weary vocal.

    The release’s Deluxe Edition offers a couple of worthwhile bonus tracks. With its catchy beat and easy lyrics, "Breakdown" is the closest to a pop song on this album. It strongly contrasts the mellow "Soul," a haunting song tenderly rendered of love and loss.

    Is Blak and Blu for everybody? Absolutely not. Fans that enjoy many different genres of music and those passionate about great guitar will potentially love this project. Listening to a guitar virtuoso play his heart out over the course of this 15-song feast is pure pleasure. That Clark has a fine, technically diverse voice on top of it all made this listen that much sweeter. Highly Recommended.

    By Colleen Rubino