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Sonny Landreth Blacktop Run PROVOGUE RECORDS
ASIN: B081WW9897

Sonny’s new album sees him reuniting with former producer R.S.

Field to co-produce the album along with Tony Daigleto and Sonny
himself. The album was recorded at Dockside Studios, Lafayette,

Louisiana with David Ranson on bass, drummer Brian Brignac and
Steve Conn on keyboards. It certainly has the sound of some of his

best former albums and the title track is a great way to start, with
Sonny playing acoustic slide in a blues-based song that also has

familiar melodic and rhythmic figures. “Mule” is even better - a Cajun rocker with lovely flowing, fluid

slide playing backed up with Conn’s agile accordion playing and a skipping rhythm section. “Lover
Dance With Me” is a mid-pace instrumental with Sonny playing through a Leslie speaker and “Groovy

Goddess” is another instrumental, slightly jazzy this time with a more distorted, overdriven guitar tone.

“Somebody Gotta Make A Move” written by Steve Conn is a bluesy ballad and “Don’t Ask Me” is a nice
blues song featuring acoustic slide and Cajun accordion, while “The Wilds of Wonder” is a song about

saving the environment – a recurring theme in Sonny’s songs. “Beyond Borders” and “Many Worlds”

are two more instrumentals, the former a fast electric number and the latter a slower more moody,
contemplative tune. The closing track “Something Grand” is another thoughtful, atmospheric song –

featuring Steve Conn on organ and no guitar solo! All Sonny’s records are always immaculately played
and sound great but unlike his last studio album ‘Bound By The Blues’ I felt that this one was a bit short

on good new songs and had too many quite ordinary instrumental tracks. Although the best tracks here

– the title track, “Mule” and “Don’t Ask Me” - are as good as anything from throughout his career I felt
that some of the other tracks were just revisiting old ground and at just 35 minutes the album is also a

tad short.
Graham Harrison