I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Neon Highway Blues, from Gary Hoey and it's a solid blues rocker with lots of heat. Opening with, Under The Rug, a funky blues rocker with a definite Eric Gales added guitar flavor. Hoey's style is easily discernable from Gales and they work together nicely. With Matt Scurfield on drums, Sandy MacDonald on organ and AJ Pappas on bass, a solid opener. Slowing it down to a cool blues pace, Mercy of Love is up next with Josh Smith joining Hoey for some real blues fireworks. Excellent! One of my favorite tracks on the release is shuffle track, Your Kind Of Love with an super shuffle feel and slick slide guitar work. Very nice. Don't Come Crying is a solid 8 bar number featuring Hoey's son Ian laying down some serious riffs with the old man. This is a cool track and showcases what's coming up for the blues world. For those seeking the blues ballad style with lead guitar a la Gary Moore, Almost Heaven is sure to scratch your itch. Lance Lopez is certainly a force to be reckoned with and add him to the mix with Gary Hoey, you've got white heat. That's exactly what you have on Damned If I Do, a pyrotechnic guitar shuffle. Trading solos over a solid rhythm line gets it done. A flashy, run heavy blues rocker, Living The Highlife really shows Hoey's agile finger work over a solid rock line. Very cool. Wrapping the release is title track, Neon Highway Blues, a melodic guitar ballad which has all the right stuff. Clean, articulate slide work over lush chords...a perfect way to end a really solid release.
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