Gary Clark Jr.
The Story of Sonny Boy Slim
(Warner Bros. Records)
In recent years, the decline (or more to-the-point, deaths) of various musicians blues and otherwise, has been very rapid, leaving the wonder of who will continue when the original kings are nothing more than a memory. It seems Gary Clark Jr. has the answer to that question singing from his ever trusty Epiphone Casino guitar. However, The Story of Sonny Boy Slim marks a transitional period for Clark in which he trades his blistering guitar work in favor of a more focused R&B approach. While not necessarily a negative, fans originally drawn to his tasty, Albert King-esque aesthetic will more than likely be disappointed in light of Clark’s use of falsetto, Ooh’s and Ahh’s and a heavy use of horns. The latter of the bunch being particularly effective and is vastly underused in modern rock music. As previously stated, Sonny Boy Slim feels more like a transition stylistically from previous releases and is the next step in Clark’s development as an artist as opposed to just another guitar slinger.
