As a professional musician for over thirty years, JOE BONAMASSA continues to impress. He is praised worldwide as one of the greatest guitarists of his generation and as a singer & songwriter he has continued to develop. “Breakthrough” is his seventeenth studio album, but he has a total of over fifty materials under his belt, including live productions and things that Bonamassa has done together with others. Twenty-eight records have reached number one on Billboard Blues, there have been three gold awards in Germany so far and with a lifelong commitment to promoting the genre, Joe shows no signs of slowing down, which there is no reason to do either. The man is still relatively young and seems passionate about what he does, to everyone’s delight.
The American Blues guitarist began his career already as a child and was on stage with B.B. KING at the age of 12. Eleven years later, he took the world by storm when his solo debut “A New Day Yesterday” (2000) came. The disc started Bonamassa’s career and led him to the top level of his genre. He has since released many great records, such as “The Ballad Of John Henry” (2009), “Dust Bowls” (2011), “Driving Towards The Daylight” (2012), “Redemption” (2018) and the fantastic “Time Clocks” (2021). JOE BONAMASSA has many irons in the fire. Among other things, he plays and sings in the group BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, which he started in 2009 together with singer & bassist GLENN HUGHES. In recent years Joe also founded and leads the charity organization “Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation”.
The new album marks a new chapter for Bonamassa, where he relies less on fiery solos and more on emotional lyrics and groovy arrangements. “Breakthrough” was produced by his friend and mentor of twenty years, Kevin Shirley, who has once again put together a fantastic package. Hand clapping and Joe’s voice give us a lovely rhythm right from the start of the superb title track. Seconds later, the music takes off with a heavy rocking swing. We hear, among other things, a soft and cool bass playing. The lyrics are about letting go, moving forward, and finding your fire again. The song is uplifting. There is an inner strength and a wonderful energy here. It is an awesome composition.
“Drive By The Exit Sign” fills me with positive energy and somehow becomes a feel-good track. The music is performed with playful tones and puts you in a good mood. The fantastic “Shake This Ground” contains, among other things, acoustic guitar and a gentle, warm bass. This is a mid-tempo song that gets stuck in my head. Just by seeing the title I start to sing the chorus.
“Broken Record” is a calm and emotional track. The keyboard sound is soft and beautiful. Here we find a lovely dynamic between verses and chorus, with a nice rush in the latter. JOE BONAMASSA sings with empathy and his brilliant guitar playing is touching. Later in the piece the tones become extra powerful and emotional, especially towards the end of the song. Another material that touches and is performed with feeling is “Life After Dark”. Bonamassa’s fingers make the guitar sing in the solo. After that it is as if Joe and his instrument are taking turns singing.
JOE BONAMASSA plays as always with both power and finesse, which is his signature. The guitar master is as usual absolutely excellent. The other musicians harmonize in a perfect interplay with him and each other. The background singers also do a splendid job and lift the choruses even more. I agree that even though there are plenty of guitar solos, the focus is primarily on the songs, their shape, arrangements and lyrics. The album contains a lot of energy and positive vibes, interspersed with one or another calm track, filled with an emotional nerve and presence. Seriousness and playfulness meet in a lovely mix. From Bonamassa’s instrument comes a full, round sound, where the tones are wonderfully clear and strong, and penetrate deeply and touch the listener.
A couple of records ago, “Time Clocks” was my favorite, but now he has exceeded my expectations and himself again with this new masterpiece, which is even better and makes me cheer. “Breakthrough” is a fantastic production, where every single piece is also perfectly suited to be played live. Overall, there is a positive atmosphere in the music that lifts my mood. Just enjoy and let your body move to the rhythms of energy filled uptempo songs and dynamic ballads. Within Contemporary Blues, JOE BONAMASSA is the greatest and this is an album to listen to over and over again. (Anna)
Bewertung:
10 / 10
Anzahl der Songs: 10
Spielzeit: 45:42
Label: Provogue Records
Veröffentlichungstermin: 18.07.2025
