ALBUM OF THE MONTH
BONNIE RAITT
JUST LIKE THAT
Redwing
Records
9/10
“On this record, I wanted to stretch,” says Bonnie Raitt of this, her first album for six years. “I always want to find songs that excite me, and what’s different this time is that I’ve tried styles and topics I haven’t touched on before.” A few years ago, Bonnie was on tour with James Taylor and it was so popular that it kept getting extended into different territories. Then the world shut down and things would never be quite the same. She kept a presence, as many artists did, online and was vocal in environmental and political issues, but the promise of a relaxation of the worldwide lockdown meant that plans were forged for a new album. It gave her the opportunity to move into new areas, covering songs like Made Up Mind by Bros. Landreth and Here Comes Love by the California Honeydrops.
We’re taken on a fairground ride of genres and styles here, but all bound together by Bonnie’s remarkable vocal power and range, not forgetting her considerable aplomb on slide, acoustic and electric guitars. The title track pulls the listener in with its emotion and lyrical depth. When We Say Goodnight is an instant classic, with its gradual build to some moody slide guitar. If it’s funk you want, look no further than Waitin’ For You To Blow, a masterclass with a serious message – about ‘the devil on your shoulder during recovery’. A soulful return for the first lady of blues and rock [DM]