Growth and confidence as a songwriter! Wonderfully nuanced vocals!

Bonamassa steps up his songwriting (four of the 11 tracks are originals), delivering one of his most varied and impressive albums.

"Sloe Gin is different than anything I’ve ever done before. I know we bettered You & Me,” said Joe during a quick break in the non-stop touring that continued in Europe and the U.S. throughout 2007. “The songs are more refined, and I was concentrating on them as a whole rather than only thinking about a 50-bar guitar solo. Also, singing is a bigger part of it for me than ever before, and it’s awesome to have that space — to connect with fans on a musical and lyrical level.”

Bonamassa attributes much of the disc’s power to his continued collaboration with Kevin Shirley — “It’s unbelievable, he takes my vision, augments it, and brings it further than I ever would have thought to.” Joe specifically cites his influence on the title track “Sloe Gin,” a slamming, raw blues-rock opus clocking in at more than eight minutes. “I never would have found that one on my own,” says Joe, “or gone where Kevin went with it. I really owe that whole sound for me to him.”

Track Listing
Side 1
Ball Peen Hammer
One Of These Days
Seagull
Dirt In My Pocket
Sloe Gin

Side 2
Another Kind Of Love
Around The Bend
Black Night
Jelly Roll
Richmond
India