Although Johnny Lang, the 16-year-old blues guitarist, has his mug all over the place - including a Disney Channel concert special, the darker and richer guitar blues sound belongs to Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
Sure, Shepherd is three years older than Lang, but his music sounds decades mature.Shepherd's new album, "Trouble Is . . . ," moves with guts galore. The kick-off track, "Slow Ride," (not to be confused with Foghat's hit of the same name but different melody) is in regular rotation on MTV and VH1. And it rules - talk about foot-stamping hooks and ripping guitar leads.
While Shepherd doesn't sing leads - a roaring Noah Hunt has that privilege - he plays the guitar like a seasoned veteran. It's easy to hear how Stevie Ray Vauhan, John Lee Hooker and Albert Collins shaped this young guitarist's finesse.
The band even does a loyal cover of Jimi Hendrix' "I Don't Live Today," which follows a bluesy rendition of Bob Dylan's "Everything Is Broken."
But as far as remakes go, that's about it. Before some of you label Shepherd a retro artist, understand his style is his own. The blues are timeless, and much like fellow blues revivalist Chris Duarte, Shepherd spices his tunes with subtle but great rock 'n' roll moves.
This is true especially in the delivery of "Nothing To Do with Love."
The moody, piano-laden "I Found Love (When I Found You)" works well when sandwiched between the explosive shuffle of "Somehow, Somewhere, Someway" and grungy "King's Highway."
Overall, this is a killer blues-rock album. And with the help of harmonica playing by blues legend James Cotton on "(Long) Gone," the album delivers the goods.