The Blues Don't Lie [2 LP] in Bloomington, MN

Buddy Guy
fell into a comfortable groove with producer/drummer
Tom Hambridge
way back in 2008, when they joined forces for the fine set
Skin Deep
.
The Blues Don't Lie
is their fifth album since then, a streak that includes two Grammy-Award winning albums. Such success is a clear indication that
Guy
and
Hambridge
found a comfortable, relaxed groove long ago, so maybe it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that
sounds relaxed and comfortable, a clean execution of familiar sounds enlivened by guests. Here,
invites blues singers
Mavis Staples
,
Wendy Moten
, and
Bobby Rush
along with rockers
Elvis Costello
Jason Isbell
James Taylor
, each musician enjoying their time in the studio as much as
. Whether it's the gnarled "Symptoms of Love" or the breezy "Follow the Money," these six cuts are the highlights of
, giving the record a bit of a spark. Elsewhere,
sounds appealing -- perhaps his voice is a little too digitally polished, but that's countered by his guitar, which still sounds muscular -- but ever so slightly too cozy. It's so laid-back that
is as close to a chill-out record that
has ever cut. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine