Warner Brothers Records
On his major record debut, the Austin, Texas, guitarist seized the opportunity to better track his musical identity with his latest full length album. On “Blak and Blu” he’s not a Black Keys copy, he’s not a traditional blues guitarist, he’s Gary Clark Jr. With tracks that hop from rockabilly (“Travis County”) to R&B (“The Life”), the guitarist showcases his dexterity on his instrument through these different avenues, knocking each out of the park. In the process, Clark melds a new sound steeped in new and old musical arenas with hip-hop elements glinting in at times. But through all of this, Clark doesn’t leave behind distorted guitar shredding, whether he’s running with speedy rock and roll or 12-bar blues.
Grade: A