A Little Wiser

Album Review

If you are starved for hard rock and blues influenced by the '70s era (à la Allman Brothers or Stevie Ray Vaughan), you would do well to check out guitarist/vocalist Alastair Greene's debut CD, A Little Wiser. Greene displays a monstrous ability for full-on blues-rock anthems. While some blues purists will no doubt chafe at his distorted Gibson bombast, those who prefer their blues amped up should be deafeningly pleased. Simply put, he goes for it. Greene has a strong, baritone voice that often distorts his mike as a song reaches its apex. There is a live feel to the album with few pauses between tracks, almost as if Greene and friends ran the set down in one take. Complementing Greene's heavily distorted and wah-wah'd aesthetic is the Hammond B-3 organ of Jim Calire, whose juicy keyboard smears keep things funky. Also an adept acoustic musician, Greene displays a romantic side on tracks like the bluegrass-infused "The Long Way Home," which showcases his steel-string guitar, banjo, and mandolin prowess.