Summer & the Sinners

Hailing from Vancouver Island, Summer Hay helms a gutsy, guitar-heavy brand of blues rock with a five-alarm voice that is equal parts power and persuasion. These 13 hard-hitting tracks rock the roost as they tip the hat to the likes of Slim Harpo, Albert King and Elmore James. If this sounds like a tall order, it’s one that’s well within the band’s grasp, leaning heavily on a tight rhythm section, a crack guitarist (Buddy Love) or two (Dave Vidal) and some sensational keyboard action from Brendon Hedley. David Gogo ices the cake on a pair of tracks while Paul Wainwright’s tenor sax adds a smooth yet slippery swing throughout. Stand-out tracks include Luther Dixon’s "Big Boss Man” and a keyboard-heavy take on Robert Cray’s "Phone Booth.” However, here’s guessing it’s the rip-snorting, over-the-top renditions of songs like "Independence Blues” and "Money Maker” that play Summer’s voice off Love’s sinuous lead guitar to make the most impact live. These two were meant to play off each other and Boogie with the Devil is a surprisingly accomplished release with plenty of heart and no shortage of high-torque energy.