Release Date: 18 April 2025
Label: Ruf Records
Genres: Blues Rock
Tracklist:
1. Brown Liquor feat. Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
2. Maybe Some Day
3. Money & Power
4. Do You Cry
5. Heal Me
6. Stopper Back Papa
7. Legends
8. Keep Me In Mind
9. Unbreakable feat. Shemekia Copeland
10. Stepping Stone
11. Feel That Sting
12. Black Cat
Money & Power is the 6th album of the Texas, USA based vocalist/guitarist Ally Venable. It follows up her 2023 album Real Gone, and musically speaking it is not too far removed from the sound of her previous album. There are this time, however, guest appearances by the amazing guitarist Christone “Kingfish” Ingram and singer Shemekia Copeland. Ally herself is besides a reasonable rock singer also a very strong guitarist who loves to shred (just listen to the wonderful heavy blues rocking title track that reminds me of Larkin Poe), so that’s definitely something to admire. The rest of the line-up of musicians featured on the album are drummers Tom Hambridge and Isaac Pulido, bassist/keyboard player EJ Bedford, guitarist Kenny Greenberg, bassist Rob Coreton, keyboard player Luke Mosely, and several more. The music is mostly a mix of soulful slow bluesy rock songs and heavy blues rockers, kinda like Erja Lyytinnen here and there, yet we also are surprised a few times musically speaking.
I absolutely need to mention that Ally’s guitarwork is quite phenomenal here and there, such as the lovely soaring guitar solo of the soulful bluesy rock ballad “Do You Cry.” Other highlights include the groovy funky “Stopper Back Papa” (a little bit like Ana Popovic), the superb catchy poppy uptempo melodic pop-rocker “Legends” (somewhere between Elles Bailey and Joanne Shaw Taylor, could easily become a huge radio hit!), the sensational uptempo classic rocker “Feel That Sting” (with a ZZ Top kinda vibe) and the Janet Jackson cover “Black Cat.” After a few spins of the album, it is clear that this is Ally’s most diverse record that offers something for everyone. There are a lot of great tunes here, and so it could perhaps even be her finest release so far! Check out this fantastic American blues/rock singer/songwriter/guitarist.
Written by: Gabor Kleinbloesem
Ratings: Gabor 8/10
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