Stax

There’s always been a bluesman bottled up inside slide guitarist Ben Harper. Subtle elements of the blues can found even in his most hook-laden rock songs. With harp virtuoso Charlie Musselwhite, Harper uncorks ten tracks of blues, gospel, soul and R&B that occasionally revisit that earlier rock esthetic. Mostly, Harper just explores the blues. “We Can’t End This Way” is riveting gospel send up, while “I Don’t Believe a Word You Say” is pure power blues – a hard-nosed stomper with powerful, overdriven slide work amid blowback intensity. “You Found Another Lover (I Lost Another Friend)” and “Get Up!” are more reminiscent of Harper’s soulful solo work, as “IRide At Dawn” becomes a spiritually moving haunting dirge. Musselwhite is the perfect foil for Harper with harmonica phasing running from delicate to locomotive. If anything, Musselwhite’s a bit understated, but his presence lends gritty authenticity for Harper’s journey into the blues.