Arriving after the unexpected blast of raw energy that was 2001's
Sweet Tea
, 2003's
Blues Singer
could idealistically be seen as the acoustic flip side of that high-voltage, raw
electric blues
. Like
,
is supposed to exist deep down within the
Delta blues
tradition, only finding
Buddy Guy
armed with an acoustic guitar and the occasional minimal accompaniment; it's even recorded at the same Mississippi studio that gave its name to the 2001 platter and is helmed by the same producer,
Dennis Herring
. If only it were that simple! Instead of being an extension or a mirror image of its predecessor, this record is a sleepy comedown from an exhilarating peak. Where
was filled with unpredictable song choices, this plays it safe, hauling out such familiar items as
"Hard Time Killing Floor,"
"Crawlin' Kingsnake,"
"I Love the Life I Live,"
and
"Sally Mae."
And while this retains
Jimbo Mathus
on guitar, when other musicians pop up, it's not the lively
Fat Possum
crew, it's studio pros like
Jim Keltner
, or guest shots by superstars
Eric Clapton
B.B. King
. While this does afford listeners the rare opportunity to hear
B.B.
on acoustic, it gives the affair the audience-pleasing veneer that weighed down his mid-'90s efforts. Plus, when it comes right down to it,
Guy
simply is off on this record, with lazy, mannered vocals and by the book guitar. Despite a few good acoustic duet sessions with
Junior Wells
acoustic blues
is not really
's forte, and the highly disappointing
illustrates exactly why. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine