A Young Man's Blues

Chris Thomas King has been on a roll since his involvement, musically and as an actor, in O Brother Where Art Thou?. A Young Man's Blues collects a number of tracks recorded between 1989 and 1991, taking advantage of King's newfound fame to make sure that these earlier tracks get a wider hearing. The mostly self-penned material is fairly straightforward, and one can hear King drawing from a number of musical influences as he carves out his own style. "Plaquemine Blues," for instance, evokes what Jimi Hendrix might have sounded like if he'd written about social issues, while the opening notes of "I'm Gonna Make It" remind one of a later-day Eric Clapton. The arrangements and production (by Bruce Bromberg) walk the line between a bluesy roots sound on "The Game" and harder rock on "Itch." There's also a lovely, mostly acoustic track, "The Devil's Daughter," that was previously unreleased. The only drawback to the collection is that a number of the songs lack distinction, and one gains the impression that King is in the process of searching for his own voice here. Fans interested in the guitarist/singer's roots, as well as lovers of electric blues, will nonetheless enjoy A Young Man's Blues. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., Rovi