For the past number of years, Joe Bonamassa has kept his regular working band together for his “regular” albums, using his alias names and groups in which to indulge his more rootsy nature. This time, however, under his own name, he does mix things up a bit, keeping drummer Anton Fig, but bringing in Bobby Summerfield or Lachy Doley/p-org, Steve Mackey/b for a core unit, and then adding a dash of experimentation here and there with ideas ranging from a full orchestra, vocalists or the exotic digeridoo.
The mix of the spartan with mystery works well, as the digeridoo adds extra growl to “Pilgrimage” and the hard hitting “Notches”, which seems to include some sitar from either Joe B or an unnamed guest. The pizzicato’d strings mix with heavy metal on “Questions and Answers” and sweep along during the Led Zeppelin-ish “Curtain Call” . There’s even an Irish pub-inspired “The Loyal Kind” that has Bobby Summerfield on whistle, with Bonamassa giving a dash of C&W on “Time Corsses” and giving a nod to the Eagles with rich harmonies and a trip to Winslow, Arizona on “Mind’s Eye”. Bonamassa’s voice, always underrated and appreciated, is in excellent form, with the production painted in bold primary colors. Joe B expands from his shark suit into a few new outfits.