Gary Hoey - Dust and Bones

by Lisa Torem

published: 6 / 9 / 2016

Label: Provogue
Format: CD

Back-to-basics twentieth album from Massachusetts-based blues guitarist Gary Hoey

Review

“From the guitar to the vocals to the rhythm section — everything was designed to produce a huge impact,” Gary Hoey exclaims about the big sound on his twebtieth album ‘Dust and Bones’. Hoey’s last album, 'Deja Blues’ ignited the flame, but on this one, he’s shooting out of a cannon. Yet that sound was conceptualized by just a trio: drummer Matt Scurfield and bassist AJ Pappas and they all do a bang up job. First up is ‘Boxcar Blues’, which comes alive with slide, harmonies and blazing solos. Hoey makes his axe scream like a deserted child. But then the trio swings with ‘Who’s Your Daddy’. The lyrics are crazily catchy and the beat is to die for. And right smack in the middle is the daddy of all electric guitar solos; at the end, it blissfully picks up again. ‘Born to Love You’ even with its frenzied distortion still manages to celebrate monogamy. The title song packs in a thousand feelings — “Started living in the house of pain” and then “I’ll lift you higher than you’ve ever been” and anyone who has ever had the pleasure of hearing Johnny Winter live will really enjoy Hoey’s grand tribute, ‘Steamroller’, which certainly captures the man’s genuine love of his instrument. Then he triggers some romantic notions by featuring Lita Ford for a duet on ‘Coming Home’. The mood shifts to reflection for the imaginative ‘Ghost of Yesterday’ (“All the lies are forgiven/Lock the door and throw away the key). Hoey has the capacity to gracefully switch from mood to mood without missing a beat. ‘This Time Tomorrow’ raises the stakes. He’s been deceived — the strong ensemble works in ferocious tandem to express the disappointment. ‘Blind Faith’ is truculent and astonishingly focused. ’Dust and Bones’ closes with the rich and riveting instrumental ‘Soul Surfer’, so you even get to reminisce about Dick Dale’s heydays. Hoey has outdone himself by tributing the likes of Johnny Winter, Led Zeppelin, Robert Johnson and Robin Trower, but he he’s more than worthy of an encore himself.

Track Listing:-

1 Boxcar Blues
2 Who's Your Daddy
3 Born To Love You
4 Dust & Bones
5 Steamroller (tribute to Johnny Winter)
6 Coming Home (feat. Lita Ford)
7 Ghost Of Yesterday
8 This Time Tomorrow
9 Back Up Against The Wall
10 Blind Faith
11 Soul Surfer
12 Boston Strong
13 Amazing Grace