Of all of the genres ever prevalent in music, blues may very well be far and away one of the most scintillating. At the very least, it certainly has the backstory to back it up, in which one would be quick to realize upon research that the influential subset of music is, in itself, influenced by the Ethiopian airs and call-and-response patterns of hymns and rhythms long predating its being established as a scene or way of life. In the modern era, blues may have been unceremoniously shoved to the wayside compared to its glory days in the early to mid-20th century, but it the basic structure of the genre has itself gone on to influence rock, country, folk, gospel and funk, among others. In between, however, are still the true bluesmen of our times—masterful modern maestro like Gary Clark, Jr., or in our case, the inimitable Saul Losada.
Losada, in and of himself, is also a modern musician who holds his own eclectic share of influences on his sleeve, from guitar heroes like Jimi Hendrix and B.B. King, to legendarily revered songwriters like Dylan and the Beatles. Yet, much throughout his career thus far, he has been a lucrative name in the world of studio musicians and has toured the world, but he has yet to achieve the personal acclaim or name recognition that a consummate musician of his caliber arguably should receive should that be what they’ve been gunning for.
His latest release, Energy, of course, proves this once more in spades as the multifarious guitarist successfully aims to live up to his album title track-by-track. Featuring his trademark licks on electric guitar, Losada evokes a multitude of emotions throughout the eight compositions present on the record, from the evocative seduction of opener “Morning Light” on through the aptly-titled blazer “Fasten Your Seatbelt”. That’s not all that’s on display in this package, however, as each track has peppered in various other instrumental choices from string movements, to blazing drums and bass additions, and even peppered-in electronic synth to keep listeners on their toes.
All in all, Energy is a scintillating release certainly worthy of an ear for the Hollywood-centered lead guitarist. The only criticism being that we wish the artists playing alongside Losada were given a more obvious credit on this release by whoever is handling his descriptions. Even within the written details on the wow-worthy lived performance of “Bold As Love” showcased below, only Losada is given credit—not any other member of the full band, let alone the stellar vocalist fronting the composition.
All said, though, this comes as quite the recommendation from us at For Folk’s Sake. For more info on Saul, you can visit his official website or Facebook page.
Words by: Jonathan Frahm