The continuing saga of youngsters playing blues guitar... this time from Atlanta, GA, comes Mike Lowry. This short, self-produced CD with seven tracks and just over thirty minutes of music has some hot moments and others that can be explained by the age of the guitarist in question. Leading off with Buddy Guy's "Let Me Love You Baby" would seem a solid move for someone looking to make his mark in the business, but what starts off on a powerful note quickly degenerates into a slugfest of brittle guitar with over-the-top pyrotechnics, and when Lowry relaxes and allows the groove to breathe, he does little more than noodle. "Gettin' Burned" has a Southern pop feel and for "Dark Before The Dawn," it's simple and solid acoustic guitar but his vocals lack authority. Joey Hoegger hands in some decent harmonica in "Trying To Get Over You," but like Lowry, he needs to learn the art of less-is-more, something the guitarist gets a grasp on for a few moments here, but again, testosterone steps up. For Hop Wilson's "Black Cat Bone" there's a modern and funky feel not unlike the version from the Grammy-winning "Showdown" LP from Alligator and Lowry delivers some Duane Allman-infused slide, then the pace slows down for a fair offering on Jimmy Rogers' "That's All Right." The quick end comes with Bo Diddley's "Before You Accuse Me" that owes more to Eric Clapton's version than Bo's and Lowry handles some nice fills before once again lifting into the stratosphere. Larry Duff on drums is solid throughout as is the bass playing of either John Smith or Ben Gettys. Maturity is the key missing on this initial release, but given time, and if he does his homework, Mike Lowry could turn out to be another solid player with lots more to offer. www.mikelowryband.com
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