Kategorie: CD-Reviews | Genre: Blues/Bluesrock | Heft: Jahrgang 2014, eclipsed Nr. 163 / 9-2014 | VÖ-Jahr: 2014 | Wertung: 7.5/10 | Label: Provogue | Autor: MB
Already on the fantastic "Steamroller" (2012) Philip Sayce had reduced the pop factor in his repertoire to a minimum. So it is not surprising that "Influence" is even more clearly oriented to the core of the blues. But just like Joe Bonamassa and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Philip Sayce belongs to a new generation of young guitarists (born in Wales in 1976 and raised in Toronto) who can transport the traditions of the blues into the here and now in an impressively fresh way. Fender-man Sayce has a much rougher edge than his colleagues. Besides some great original compositions (mostly developed in cooperation with producer Dave Cobb) like the strong ballad "Fade Into You" and the instrumental "Triumph" carried by a great guitar solo, Sayce relies again on a whole round of extraordinary cover versions. They are especially successful: the heavily grooving Little Richard number "Green Power", the moving Graham Nash classic "Better Days" and the gospel evergreen "Peace In The Valley".
Top track: Triumph
