Supersonic Blues Machine. Provogue/Mascot Label Group. 15 Oct 2017
I’m definitely a summer kind of person. Earlier this year, I found myself working across Europe and Canada while they were in the grips of a bitterly cold winter. While it’s nice for an Australian to see snow and experience the big freeze, by the end of my ‘tour’, I was definitely missing the sun. On my way home, I stopped off in California to thaw out, and even though it was February and technically the dead of winter, I jumped in a big American muscle car, and headed for the beach. Cos it’s always sunny in California! It’s amazing what effect the sun can have when you’ve been deprived, even if only for a few weeks. Needless to say, my smile continues to grow as we plunge headlong into the Adelaide summer, with our long days, warm sunshine and fabulous sunsets.
Almost as important as the sunshine itself, a soundtrack to the summer is an essential season must-have, and listening to Californisoul, the second album from So-Cal act Supersonic Blues Machine seems to provide just that.
The band is a trio made up of well-known session players, who’ve obviously mastered their respective instrumental crafts, but here are free to play their own tunes, and do so very well.
As the band’s name may suggest, the blues is an important feature here, with a healthy doses of funk, rhythm and blues, rock, and even reggae. There are guitars a plenty, grooving drums, soaring blues harp, choral backing vocals, and the sweet tinkling of ivory too.
The album opener I Am Done Missing You has a grooving rocksteady rhythm, L.O.V.E. is a chunky blues party, Broken Heart ventures into country territory, Elevate has a hard-edged thump, and Hard Times gets right to the heart of the blues.
There are 13 tunes on offer, and all of them have plenty to take away and cherish. So pop on the album, crack open your favourite beverage, and enjoy the soundtrack to the endless summer.
Luke Balzan
Supersonic Blues Machine is the magic merge of drumming legend Kenny Aronoff, bassist/producer Fabrizio Grossi, and award winning guitarist/lead singer Lance Lopez. Californisoul is the second album and features guest appearances by Billy F. Gibbons, Steve Lukather, Eric Gales, Robben Ford, & Walter Trout.
Track Listing
1. I Am Done Missing You
2. Somebody's Fool (feat. Robben Ford)
3. L.O.V.E.
4. Broken Heart (feat. Billy F. Gibbons)
5. Bad Boys
6. Elevate (feat. Eric Gales)
7. The One
8. Hard Times (feat. Steve Lukather)
9. Cry
10. The Stranger
11. What's Wrong (feat. Walter Trout)
12. Thank You
13. This Is Love
