WaxEater Records artist: JC Crossfire - AWOL Blues - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, AWOL Blues, from JC Crossfire and it's pretty straightforward and bluesy. Opening with shuffle track, It Is What It Is, Crossfire on vocal and his notoriously snarling guitar tone is joined by Tony Galabria on bass, Al Rich on drums Steve Lombardelli on keys and Joe Beard on piano. One More Day has a 12 bar format and Crossfire paces himself nicely with fluent guitar solo. Working Man has a nice blues drive. Nicely phrased guitar riffs and a driving bass line run this train. Black Hole has an easier pace with acoustic guitar and slide. Title track AWOL Blues has a real nice back beat and steady drums emphasize that. Slide work from JC gives it it's bite. Sweet Thing is a more traditional R&B style ballad and duet with Marybeth DeSarle. A nice sax addition by Lombardelli is sweet. I Can Still Pump has a New Orleans bounce feel. JC's vocals on this track are primo and Beard's piano work is spot on. Plain & Simple has a bit of funk under the slide work of JC. Hungry aggressive guitar playing on this track makes it one of my favorites on the release. Slow blues, What Could Have Been, is an absolute ripper with tight throat grabbing riffs and nicely reverbed chords. JC shows his bluesy voice on this track sending the release to the next level. Wrapping the release is Sunflower Mississippi, a track co-written with Matt Guitar Murphy.

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