Fell Toward None

Somebody needs to come right out and say it: this guy really sounds like Stevie Ray Vaughan — not just vocally (though at times, and especially on the rather hilarious "Facebook Mama," the vocal resemblance is nearly uncanny) but also in his admirable tendency to blend the sounds of Texas-style blues-rock with Memphis soul (and to dig occasionally into a bag of Jimi Hendrix tricks). Nagy claims to play "both kinds of music: rhythm AND blues," and that's a good summation of his style. On Fell Toward None he succeeds most completely when he rocks hardest ("Wishing Well," "Pack It Up") and when he rocks funkiest and/or most soulfully ("Let It Roll," the brilliant "Be with You"). He seldom stumbles, but when it happens it's generally because he fails to maintain a high-enough energy level; this happens most egregiously on "Still Means the World to Me," a fine song that bogs down irretrievably by the end of its five-minute length. ("Facebook Mama" also feels like it's struggling to get off the ground and never quite makes it.) But throughout the album both his voice and his guitar playing are a pleasure to hear, and it's a solid success overall.