While it would be hard to place the date of when the blues was born, there’s no questioning where it originated. The blues came from the Mississippi Delta the Mecca of the blues — home to many blues icons such as Sam Cook, Ike Turner, and Robert Johnson. And while originally a Western creation, the blues has spread across the globe as the genre has been incorporated into modern music.
In India, blues has taken on a new form as many artists have taken this genre and have made it their own. In fact, blues has been so big in the country that the Mahindra Blues Festival celebrated its 10th year of existence last February by inviting world-class blues acts and having them share the stage with local blues stars. Indeed, the Indian blues has carved a space for its self in our culture and is certainly here to stay thanks to the artists that have paved the way.
One such artist is Blackstratblues whose latest release is a shining example of what makes Indian blues so great. If you wanna know more about the album, read on for our review of When It’s Time, Blackstratblues’ fifth studio album!
When It’s Time
If you aren’t familiar with Blackstratblues, then let us give you a quick refresher. Blackstratblues is Mumbai-based guitarist Warren Mendonsa’s solo project named after his iconic black Fender Stratocaster. Formerly a member of the rock band Zero, Mendonsa has dedicated himself to this project since 2007 and has released four albums in the last 13 years.
This latest release feels like a culmination of all his work so far and rightfully so as Mendonsa himself describes the album as a journey through life. In an interview with Rolling Stone, he details that the eight tracks of the album make up the last 40 years of his life. And a lot has happened in the last 40 years. Aside from making music, Mendonsa has also become a father. This is something that he says influenced his music a lot.
The variedness is also evident when it comes to the actual musicality of the tracks. In his own words, Mendonsa has a little bit of everything on his pedalboard. This includes a modern Boss compressor, a Riot distortion pedal, and an actual Arion SCH-1 – the effects of which can only be replicated now through clones like the JHS Emperor V2 chorus pedal. This versatility shows on the album, as each track is uniquely it’s own — never relying on the same gimmick. And this is what makes the album so easy to listen to, it’s a diverse set of tracks from a blue artist that knows exactly what he wants to do and executes with the mastery of a seasoned blue veteran.
Overall
The latest Blackstratblues album will have something for everyone. Tracks such as Interstellar Roadtrip provide the straightforward, heavy, and crunchy riffs that old school blues heads love. On the flip side, Looking For Polaris offers more complex arrangements that’ll take you on an eclectic musical journey. Whether you’re a longtime fan of the project or not, When It’s Time surely deserves a listen.
If you’re looking for new music but don’t know where to find it, check out our article on Top 7 Sites to Download Full Albums Free 2019!
Image Credit: Dhwanit999, Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
