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Joe Bonamassa - Driving Towards The Daylight (2012)

Driving Towards the Daylight is the tenth studio album by blues rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa. It was released on May 22, 2012.

If you believe that Robert Johnson may have made a deal with the devil in exchange for his legendary talent, then you have to consider that Joe Bonamassa may also have been fated to play blues music from the day that he was born. The two men share a birthday together (May 8th) – a mere 66 years apart – and both enjoy an almost supernatural ability in playing the guitar. Much of Driving Towards The Daylight evinces a sort of early-1970s classic rock vibe. Bonamassa's original "Dislocated Boy" is a rough 'n' tumble tale of working class blues that heaps lyrical alienation and tortured vocals layer by layer on top of an eerie soundtrack provided partially by keyboardist Arlen Schierbaum.

The song refers to Robert Johnson, although not by name, drawing a line between the Delta legend and the young guitarist, Bonamassa's haunting solos cutting not precisely, like a scalpel, but rather in wide arcs like a madman-wielded scimitar. It seems only natural that the guitarist would follow up with a rockin' cover of Johnson's "Stones In My Passway," an obscure but effective choice that echoes elements of Led Zeppelin, particularly in Anton Fig's powderkeg drumbeats and the hypnotic rhythm guitar.

The title track, co-written by Bonamassa, is a bluesy ballad that grows in strength from gentle guitar strum to anguished self-reflection and back, Bonamassa pushing his vocal performance into a more soulful, emotional space that benefits greatly from his elegant, measured fretwork. It's a solid blues-rock tune that reminds of Paul Rodgers and Free, or maybe even Derek & the Dominos. A cover of the great Howlin' Wolf's "Who's Been Talking?" includes a cool spoken word segment from the Chicago blues legend before jumping headfirst into the raging rocker, the rhythm section delivering a spry, swinging backdrop for Bonamassa's rattletrap guitar and gruff vocals. The drumbeats positively snap in response to the singer's phrasing, and the guitar solo that rolls out at the end of the song is pure adrenalin-fueled fury.

While Bonamassa throws a couple of well-executed surprises into the grooves of Driving Towards The Daylight, much as he did with 2011's Dust Bowl, there's no radical departure from the basic guitar-driven, meat-and-potatoes blues-rock sound that has earned the guitarist a loyal worldwide audience. Still, these glimpses beyond the curtain that stretch Bonamassa's talents beyond their comfort zone are welcome detours, and if takes side projects like Don't Explain, his collaboration with singer Beth Hart, to further push Bonamassa's growth as an artist without turning off his fans (but still earning him new followers), then I say let the man play! (J&R Adventures, released May 22, 2012)

By Reverend Keith A. Gordon for About Entertainment

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