Music Reviews: Brad Wilson, Firing Up a Storm with Blues Thunder

Blues Thunder - Sometimes music speaks to you, other times music speaks for you. On this release Brad Wilson has music that does both. On his opening track, “Is it any Wonder" Brad's guitars sing like a mans heart on fire. You can almost feel his desire as he bends the notes into the stratosphere. On "Change It Up" the guitar dons a tone with a bit more sting and has the kind of swagger that personifies how I like to navigate downtown traffic. The guitar sits backseat for a bit on, “Blue Shadows" where the piano inspires flashbacks of passions, and love long gone rises to the surface. Brad has assembled a group of players that tend to each song like sharp eyed gatekeepers. Drum work unleashed on this set can lay back in the pocket and hold things together, or add the right amount of heat. Key work, wether from the piano or organ, contribute the jangle to make you get up and move, or inspire the soul to fly off the bar stool where life is really at. With the opening whines from the harmonica on “Step by Step” you will be moving closer to pure blues bliss with every note played. Bass guitar lines will have you looking for your baby no matter where you are at. Once found you will grab them by the hands and want to dance the rest of the day away. The textures present on this release range from the slick, clean and soulful to the smokey, dirty nitty gritty. With so much music auto-tuned and gimmicked within a hair of insincerity, Brad Wilson delivers an authentic musical experience played and preformed by humans with soul. For those that like a little more Rock in their Blues, “Blues Thunder” comes out of nowhere and sucks you in with a tornado of high gain guitar work. The rhythm section has a hey day and creates a real track that bounces with, “Let’s Go Barefootin’ It”. It will really put a hop in your dance steps, and in toe with the harmonica work you will spice it up for the day. Now you can shred guitar all day long and practice your scales but to be a real blues man you gotta be able to write songs. Brad delivers track after track, with a one spin of “My Faith Has Been Broken” you will hear and feel the true soul of an artist. Baring all Mr. Wilson has a variety of guitar tones and phrasings just as a soul has feelings traveling through life. Throwing out a variety of techniques to express the back drop of, “Cool Runnin” you might just want to keep you drink back from the speakers for it might just freeze over. As the set continues the warming track of “Home” rolls into your ears. With the intricate acoustic picking Brad creates an earthy track that will make you want to sit back in your seat. Taking deep breath you will be able to close your eyes and envision fond memories of yesteryear and envision what might be next. One of things that really strikes me about release is that it truly takes you on a journey. The fact is, you could spin this record in a room full of different people and just about everyone would find a track that they could latch on to. I really liked the throwback 50’s boogie vibe injected into the cut, “Black Coffee At Sunrise”. Closing my eyes I can see beautiful women in ponytails and poodle skirts spinning the night away into the late hours in a diner. Without a doubt though the main character on this epic release is the guitar. With bends and trills, blistering runs and ghost notes the guitar is upfront and in your face. Talking all throughout this album the six strings have a voice of their own expressing true human passion and sorrows. It’s amazing what the guitar can to in the hands of a man that has lived life and can project that through his instrument. In “Sugar Sweet” it can sit back and jam or light up the heavens. Rounding out the album is “Never Again”, with high gain guitars that sing to the heavens. Wether you are heartbroken or a heartbreaker this track will speak to you. I would recommend this album to those that like Rock, Blues, Pop and Country. There is a little bit here for just about anyone, so give it a spin and these “Blues” will take away any storms or “Thunder” and turn them into sunny days.