Soul-blues purveyor keepin’ it real, two decades after Strong Persuader
Mention the phrase “blues guitarist,” and chances are, you’ll conjure up an image of a wizened Mississippi character cranking out grinding chords in a smoky juke joint, peppering his songs with nasty non-sequiturs. But the genre can be more sophisticated than most people realize—as 21st Century bluesman Robert Cray proves with his 14th album. On Twenty, Cray examines the Iraq war, muses over missed opportunities and contemplates mortality—heavy topics deftly handled so they educate as well as entertain his listeners. The pivotal title track, which describes military service from a 20-year-old soldier’s perspective, should be mandatory listening for every would-be recruit.