Written by: Neil Spencer

Cray has always straddled the hazy line between blues and soul, his stinging guitar in debt to masters such as Hubert Sumlin, his singing and compositions steeped in southern soul. As the title suggests, he leans to the latter here, honouring Otis Redding and Bobby Bland with fine covers, offering a playful nod to Booker T on Hip Tight Onions, and dressing his originals with chunky horn parts. As ever, Cray’s world is emotionally fraught. Hold On is a plea for a partnership under stress, Pillow a seductive love call, while the acoustic What Would You Say calls for social justice. A master at work.

Article Source: TheGuardian.com