Alligator Records
2009
Hard Believer
About This Album
You might think that Castro's first album recorded for mighty blues indie Alligator -- and twelfth overall -- would mark a departure for this longtime rocking soulman. Despite a fuller sound, fleshed out with Lenny Castro's percussion and boosted by an ever-present horn section led by longtime cohort Keith Crossan, this is another typically solid effort from the singer/guitarist. Perhaps it's unfair to expect that Castro would somehow break free of, expand, or alter the blue-collar persona he has cultivated over his solo career as he shifts to a higher-profile label affiliation. Veteran producer/musician John Porter returns to join Castro's strong, husky vocals -- a cross between Delbert McClinton, James Brown, and Bob Seger -- to a rather slick, radio-friendly approach that buffs off the frontman's natural grit, arguably overly so. Every track is tweaked to perfection with keyboards and brass charts, leaving little to chance or room for the music to breathe. It's a marked change from Castro's anything-goes concerts where the songs are tightly rehearsed, yet open for improvisation. Studio sets are naturally more sterile, but there remains a nagging feeling that this is too studied for his style of soulful rock.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and 9)

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