Acid Blues Experience

It is impossible to look at the front and back covers of Stoney Curtis' debut album, Acid Blues Experience, without thinking of the psychedelic era; the trippy artwork on this 2005 release is very psychedelic-inspired, recalling album covers of the '60s and '70s — and musically, Acid Blues Experience does, in fact, have some psychedelic influences. But this 68-minute CD is never psychedelic in a power pop way; Curtis doesn't cover the Strawberry Alarm Clark's "Incense and Peppermints" or the Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever." Instead, the psychedelic influences on Acid Blues Experience are blues-rock and hard rock influences (including Jimi Hendrix and Cream), and the singer/guitarist's influences do not end or begin with the psychedelic era. George Thorogood & the Destroyers and the late Stevie Ray Vaughan are among the post-'60s influences, while the pre-psychedelic influences include electric Chicago blues greats like Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, and Buddy Guy. Put all of those influences together, and you have a smart, focused blues-rock/hard rock disc that gets its inspiration from different eras and paints a very attractive picture of Curtis as both a vocalist and a guitarist. Although Curtis is an excellent singer, it would be a mistake to think that his guitar playing is simply guitar playing in service of his vocals; Curtis' guitar chops are a vital part of his musical identity, and the burning instrumental "Mulholland Shuffle" demonstrates that he can be expressive even without vocals. Curtis' second album, Raw and Real, is a bit more essential than Acid Blues Experience, but even so, this is an impressive and promising debut from the Chicago native turned Los Angeles resident.