PopSyndicate.com

Maybe you have to be an older musician to really get the blues but Michael Powers understands the music.  His follow up to Onyx Root covers a wide variety of styles and sounds and reminds us of just how diverse blues music really is.  Mixing the Delta sound with Texas rock, Prodigal Son is filled with sexy, exhilarating music.

Leading off the CD is a electric full blown blues rowdy number that makes you want to kick back and drink a beer to.  “Goin’ Down” is a solid track filled with amazing guitar work and driving rhythms.  Flipping to a more Delta sound with “It’s a Bloody Life,” Powers brings a slower, sexiness to the CD.  The silkiness of the song is an excellent cover of the Sonny Boy Williamson classic.  The title track “Prodigal Son” reminds you why the blues is such a great storytelling genre.  The blending the old-time story telling with Powers’ strong voice and up tempo guitar “Prodigal Son” is a great joy to listen to.

Powers’ cover of the Hendrix classic “Voodoo Chile” bares little resemblance to that well known piece.  On first listen, I almost didn’t recognize it.  Powers makes it his own.  Bob Dylan’s “Every Grain of Sand” is a gospel inspired track that is one of the weaker tracks on the disc.  “Compassion” really shows off Powers folky-blues roots growing up in North Carolina.  It’s an acoustic piece and provides a little break from the electric guitar that dominates the album.  “Train Keeps a Rollin’” closes out the disc and it’s just a high energy as the opening. 

I could gush on and on over most every track on Prodigal Son with good cause.  Michael Powers took his time honing his craft to become one of the best bluesmen today.  Prodigal Son is a blues album for people that love blues as well as people looking to find out more about the genre.  It’s hard to pick one song that stands out on the album as each track offers up something special.  It doesn’t get much better than this.

5