The Robert Cray Band ‘Twenty ‘ (Sanctuary Records)

Being blue usually makes for some heartfelt music writing. Your baby leaves you, your mule gets lame, you lose all your money in a poker game - that sort of thing is bound to piss you off and make you want to take your misery out on other people by wailing at them and abusing your guitar. Robert Cray is not like that. He has been enjoying fairly mainstream success for the last fifteen years or so and, not wishing to employ idle speculation for the sake of making a spurious point, not having anything smaller than a fifty to tip the car valet guy does not a blues musician make.

That said, Robert Cray’s brand of the blues is more of the Chicago electric school. Its blues meets soul meets jazz, the result of which is easy listening. Cool easy listening, but easy listening none the less. The emphasis here is on the melody and the playing, as with the production, is watertight. The man and his band are talented musicians who know and love their instruments as they would their wives, and this is apparent all the way though this, their latest album, ‘Twenty’.

Robert Cray is one of those few musicians who does actually have a distinctive guitar sound and it is all over this album. There are a couple of departures though, including ‘It Doesn’t Show’, which is also a great example of his soft and soulful voice. By tactfully ignoring the blatant and shameful jazz numbers on this album, you can find something better, for example ‘Fadin’ Away’ which is a fine and easy going tune. Lyrically, Cray’s songs might not convey the pain and loneliness of being a hobo, but the words are believable, coherent and not at all pretentious. As such they are unlikely to offend anyone at all. In fact, if one were to sum up this album, and indeed Cray’s music, in one long and multi-hyphenated word it would be this: Tight-honest-middle-aged-easy-listening-blues-lite.

Now lets see to that mule…..

words: Robin Harris