To Be Loved

Over the course of seven solo albums, former Texas-based blues guitarist Ian Moore has transformed and expanded his sound and approach in unexpected ways. His second album, 1995’s Modernday Folklore, first established his break from whatever Stevie Ray Vaughan expectations might have still lingered by chasing many different genres. By 2005’s Luminaria Moore had relocated to the Pacific Northwest and settled into an ambient, soulful groove that reflected unlikely touches such as Tim Buckley and Talk Talk. 2007’s To Be Loved briefly nods in that quiet direction with “Simple Girl” and the title track which possesses a songwriting complexity that allows for surprising shifts in mood and tone, but mostly Moore aims for a grander, forceful tone. “Literary Kind” shows signs of ‘70s New Wave, while “30 Days” slides towards power pop. “Innocent Maneuvers” powers up the electricity and uses Moore’s supreme command of his instrument to create highly textured and anthemic hard rock. At this rate, Moore may never settle on a style because there’s so much left to do.