Eric Sardinas and Big Motor

Favored Nations

Sardinas won’t be able to do these songs justice in concert, and that’s a good thing. There hasn’t been a lot of difference between his shows and his CDs, because he’s always recorded in a trio configuration (outside of an occasional guest appearance by Hubert Sumlin, Johnny Winter or Honeyboy Edwards). But the addition of “and Big Motor” to his moniker isn’t the only change since his last album five years ago.

He’s got a new bass player and drummer, and the bass has gone electric, which makes a big difference because Sardinas’ unique sound owes everything to his electrified Dobro — a traditional instrument, to be sure, but an electric one just sounds better with an electric bass.

Several tracks include piano and organ (together) and female background singers, also a first for the bluesman. Filling out the sound even more is his newfound use of multitracked guitars, often acoustic on top of electric and/or in the double-lead style. Yet another change is the incorporation of more varied material, ranging from gospel mixed with southern rock (“Ride”) to neofolk (the “Gasoline Alley”-sounding “This Time”) to country (“Gone to Memphis”).

But wait, there’s more: Attentive listeners will notice a little nonbottleneck playing; there’s two nonblues covers, Elvis Presley’s “Burning Love” and Tony Joe White’s “As the Crow Flies”; and Sardinas backs off some on his screaming. He still likes to get aggressive, of course, as on opener “All I Need,” but it’s nice to see him spreading his musical wings and flying outside of roadhouse boogie territory.

Tracks
1. All I Need
2. Ride
3. Find My Heart
4. Gone To Memphis
5. It’s Nothin’ New
6. This Time
7. Just Like That
8. Burning Love
9. Wonderin’ Blues
10. Door To Diamonds
11. As The Crow Flies

Total time: 48:15

External Links
artist’s website
amazon.com
iTunes Store