Time To Discover

Fifty-year-old Robert Bradley and his versatile young band Blackwater Surprise have produced the first modern blues classic of the new millennium with Time to Discover. The band have mastered several different well-tread blues styles, but Bradley's vocals and the group's empathetic support breathe a refreshing originality into each song. Take "Ultimate Sacrifice," for example. What begins as a fairly straightforward ballad turns into a prayer of immense power in the bridge and scattered vocals that follow. And the uptempo songs, such as "Ride," are just as strong as many of the stellar slower numbers. Guitarist Michael Nehra and bassist brother Andrew produced the album with Bradley's vocals high in the mix, but they didn't sacrifice the raw intensity of the music, so both traditionalists and novice blues fans should enjoy the sound. After the minor success of his 1996 debut, it's indeed time for the world to discover Robert Bradley. Guest vocals by the band's buddy Kid Rock can't hurt. ~ Mark Morgenstein