Turning points in somebody's life are either challenging and tumultuous or packed with an idea of a fresh start, a reset, almost, armed with the conscience of living behind the past, whatever it might have been and now looking at life with a positive and forward-moving outlook.
Thankfully, the latter seems to apply very much to one of the most interesting and talented rising stars of Blues/Rock music, the American singer/songwriter, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Greg Sover, judging by what one is able to perceive through the lyrics and the sounds of Sover's brand new album, called His - Story.
The guitarist's album title, which is very much a play on word on his personal life story, it is, from a lyrical perspective, the most open and overwhelmingly honest window on Sover's heart and soul, something that, somehow, it also reflects on the various music style showcased by the Brooklyn-born artist throughout the record.
His - Story reveals an artist at the very peak of his game on many aspects. The 10 tracks included in Sover's new album constitute an authentic, exceptional sonic joyride in the formation of Greg Sover as a music artist, with genres like Blues, Gospel, Grunge, Soul, Southern Rock, R&B and Blues/Rock emerging beautifully and soothingly in each of the songs included in the album.
As a songwriter, Sover is never afraid to touch on uneasy subjects to talk about and part of his past life, with such a disarming candor and total uprightness, especially in songs like the splendid, heartbreakingly beautiful album opener Dark House, or the slow, Bluesy and slightly raunchy Temptation, for example.
Whilst the American singer/songwriter delves uncompromisingly, in some of his new album's songs, on topics about his personal life such as losses, debauchery, depression (in that respect, Sover's choice to cover Jimi Hendrix's Manic Depression tune in his own style was absolutely perfect) or the many challenges and compromises to be made for an artist between personal relationships at home and touring as a music artist, His - Story is also very much a record that suggests the listener to not to be afraid of moving forward in life and leave all behind, or appreciate the gift of freedom that we have, something for which our fathers have long and hard fought for.
At his fourth album, Greg Sover has never sounded better than on His - Story. The guitarist and multi-instrumentalist displays, together with his incredible ability and talent as a guitar player (as clearly exuding in all the album's tracks, especially on songs like Stuck In The Rain, Song 28 or Freedom Part 2, in our personal opinion), also a singing voice of exceptional strength, versatility and power, with an ability of catwalking from genre to genre with such class and grace to leave the listener positively speechless.
A relevant note on the making of Sover's new album, about the choice of the studio musicians he wanted to play on His - Story, is very much deserved too; from Jimi Hendrix's Band Of Gypsys legendary bass player Billy Cox to the four different drummers chosen for the album's recording, Najashi Rasheed, David Uosikkinen, Jim Salamone (also co-producer of the album, together with Sover) and the late great Tom Walling, not forgetting also the excellen body of work given by Wally Smith on keyboards, Kenny Aaronson and David Palan on bass guitar too, His-Story is sonically diverse and intriguing at the same time but always sounding metronomically perfect at every point of the album.
Bald, inventive, eclectic and packed with inspired songs expressing melody, hope, anger, love for life and raw honesty, His - Story is the ultimate statement of the brilliancy of an artist like Greg Sover, whose talent is growing esponentially as the years go by. A record to cherish, love and to listen to again and again.
His - Story is out now and it is available to be purchased via Apple Music
