2015 – Joshfrost Music
BMI
By Phillip Smith; Dec 12, 2015
Josh Smith’s
2012 release, Don’t Give Up On Me was
terrific. His latest album, Over Your Head is even better. The lineup of his band remains the same, with
Smith dishing out copious amounts of
electrified blues on guitar, alongside bassist Calvin Turner and drummer Lemar
Carter.
“How Long”, a killer track about
slowly being pushed over the edge, gets the show going very nicely. Carter
tears it up on drums, while Smith
delivers thick bluesy hooks and a phenomenal session of shred. There’s even more exquisite guitar on the bad-ass
and catchy “Smoke and Mirrors”. The song begs to be played loud. Another track best played loudly is “First
Hand Look (at Down and Out)”. Guitarist Chicco Gussoni lays down some delicious
licks that are pure candy for my ears.
Smith doesn’t
skimp when it comes to special guests. Joe Bonamassa sits in on the killer title
track, “Over Your Head” for an outstanding performance. Smith’s
gravelly and soulful vocals sound so good on this one. Kirk
Fletcher from the Mannish Boys gets
his groove on in the funky instrumental with an old school Bar-Kays vibe, “… And What”.
This one is just plain fun. “You’ll
Find Love”, features the legendary Charlie
Musselwhite on harp. This is blues at its best.
Smith inserts
power and perfection into each and every song, making Over Your Head such a delightful listen from beginning to end. Needless to say, this album is definitely going
down as one of my favorites of the year.
