Eric Sardinas – Eric Sardinas & Big Motor / 2008 Favored Nations / 11 Tracks / http://www.ericsardinas.com /
I know that I had not heard of Favored Nations before picking up the latest Eric Sardinas album. Apparently, Steve Vai owns Favored Nations. This album is Sardinas’ fourth and first since 2003’s “Black Pearlsâ€. Sardinas’s style is very dependent on eir influences; individuals can immediately hear the work of individuals like Bukka White and Muddy Waters. While Sardinas is not a household name at this juncture, fans of Vai’s work may be familiar with Sardinas still. This is due to the fact that Sardinas was an opener during Vai’s 2005 tour.
The disc starts off with “All I Needâ€, a track that reverberates with distortion before kicking in heavily with drums. The ability of Sardinas during this album is such that nothing in the way of vocals would be needed to tell the story. What is told with the guitar during an average track on this album rivals that of the vocals. The back and forth between the constituent parts during a track like “Ride†will have individuals rubbernecking until the song ends. Where Sardinas is influenced by these earlier styles of blues music, what results during the entirety of “Eric Sardinas & Big Motor†is something that is much more close to seventies, southern-typed rock than anything. I hear ZZ Top, 38 Special, and even Ted Nugent in each of these eleven tracks.
The deliberate, punctuated sound of a song like “It’s Nothing New†plays back to the older (much older) styles of blues music, while still keeping a little bit more of a classic-rock sound present. The blending of these two styles is something completely unique and is likely why “Eric Sardinas & Big Motor†will be flying off the shelves after its release date. While it is not likely that Sardinas will break it through to the contemporary rock or pop charts any time soon, anyone that is a fan of blues-oriented rock or of the aforementioned bands will find quite a few things to like about this album. Of particular note on this album has to be “Burning Loveâ€, a cover that links together Elvis’ original song, the classical and seventies versions of the blues that are common on this album, and even a little bit of early eighties, Cars-like sound. The eclectic mix of styles and sounds during “Burning Love†puts the disc over the top; there will be something for everyone to appreciate here.
Top Tracks: Door To Diamonds, Burning Love
Rating: 7.2/10