Ivy Music Company - No Regrets - Albert Cummings - New Release review

I have been listening to No Regrets, the newest release from Albert Cummings (release date August 28, 2012). Since his first release in 1999 (The Long Way) Cummings has been blazing a blues guitar trail and with this release he opens up a little more his inner self and plays a variety of styles. Track one, Glass House is a hard driving blues track along the lines of Don Nix's Goin' Down. Cummings kicks the crap out of it and takes no prisoners. 500 Miles shows more of a country rock flair along the lines of Marshall Tucker but with guitar muscle. Eye To Eye continues along the country rock vein even possibly leaning a little toward Lynyrd Skynyrd. Now when I draw these comparisons, I don't mean that they sound like copies as much as I can hear comparative sounds ...but this is all Cummings. Checkered Flag takes the country influence even a step further with a hot country blues number showing blues roots and country pickin'. She's So Tired is a solid country style ballad right off of the juke box. Cummings uses a modified fat strat with a humbucker in the bridge position and a tele pickup in the neck position getting the twang when needed but able to pull the fat humbucker tone at will. Your Day Will Come, another ballad has some pretty grindy guitar work to compliment his honest vocals. Cry Me A River follows a pattern set by Donovan Leitch, with interesting backing vocals and some really rich guitar tone wailing at request. Drink, Party and Dance is a straight shuffle and possibly my favorite track on the recording. It's not only a nice swing but the guitar work is really strong. Foolin' Me lays down a cool funk line further illustrating the breadth of Cummings interest in different musical styles. There is a particularly hot guitar solo on this track that enters the Hendrixphere. Cummings tracks in a little Mud with Mannish Boy. His vocals on this track show real conviction and he sings it as if it really means something to him. This track really gives Cummings the opportunity to show what he's got on guitar and if you don't already know... here it is! Cummings concludes the 12 track release with Home Town, a heartfelt ballad. Overall this is a very interesting release from a well established guitar slinger. He doesn't appear to have anything to prove but has art that wants to get out. He's done a nice job of letting it flow and topped it off with some terrific guitar riffs along the way.
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