Jonny Lang
Lie To Me

In the aftermath of the well-known 1990 helicopter accident that deprived the world of the crystal-clear talent of a Stevie Ray Vaughan at the peak of his career, some of the major American labels specializing in blues-rock immediately set out in search of someone who could at least partially fill the void left by the Dallas guitarist, axemen capable of satisfying the growing number of "hard-blues" enthusiasts that developed during those years, thanks especially to the lightning career of Mr. SRV. Among the many names signed in the early '90s, none came as close to fulfilling that demand as this blond teenager from North Dakota who emerged from nowhere around the middle of the decade, going by the name of Jonny Lang.

At the time of writing, Jonny Lang, though barely in his thirties, has been considered a recording artist on the decline for several years now. Yet, the guy had talent, and this is demonstrated by his second album "Lie To Me" from 1997. Despite being only sixteen, the prodigy from Fargo showed through this album that it's not essential to carry decades of suffering of all kinds on your shoulders to play credible blues, or at least not as much as having the right intention and attitude along with knowledge of the genre's tradition and the style of the greats from the past.

In this album, Lang's voice and guitar appear very close to those of a seasoned bluesman: his guitar phrasing, although tightly linked to the typical clichés of blues-rock, manages to embrace its many facets, resulting in a varied, visceral, and unfussy sound, but by no means sloppy. Lang's major stylistic influences at the time of recording can be identified not only in the aforementioned SRV but also in some fathers of electric blues like Albert King and Albert Collins rather than the style of the eccentric funky-blues guitarist Hiram Bullock.

The title track "Lie to Me" can be considered the classic radio single whose video was also in heavy rotation for several weeks on major American and European music TV channels, a track based on a compelling funk rhythm and catchy chorus with R'n'B choirs. Also excellent are the reinterpretations of the blues standard "Good Morning, Little School Girl" by Sonny Boy Williamson and the energetic boogie "Matchbox" by Ike Turner; while "A Quitter Never Wins" is an intense slow blues ballad style "The Sky is Crying" where Lang unveils a great hyper-saturated Telecaster sound. Also noteworthy is the reassuring "When I Come To You", which can remind one of some of Clapton's more pop works. The 12 tracks of the album succeed each other pleasantly, also thanks to a well-curated production and the excellent performances of the backing band musicians, particularly that of pianist Bruce McCab, the author of most of the tracks. From this point on, Jonny Lang would not be able to replicate this level again, except partially in the subsequent album, which the author considers less inspired, "Wander this World", a quick descent towards an "excellent niche" with some sporadic reconsecration (the 2006 Grammy obtained, however, in the Gospel field). Jonny Lang remains today an eternal promise of the six-string blues, an unfulfilled talent who, being still young, may still have many arrows in his quiver.

Nothing original and innovative in terms of content in this "Lie to Me", simply a nice record to listen to and listen to again, perhaps on the porch with a couple of ice-cold beers.