Rawer than Raw

The title Rawer Than Raw is a nod to how this 2020 album is rawer than Raw, the 2007 record that found Bobby Rush devoting himself to acoustic blues for the first time in his lengthy career. Ever since its release, Rush has occasionally returned to such stripped-down settings, so Rawer Than Raw doesnt feel like the departure that its predecessor does but it remains a bracing listen. Hearing Rush play with just a guitar or two is a different experience than his full-bodied soul-blues revues. He remains a commanding presence, so much so that his voice and personality threaten to overwhelm his bare-bones accompaniment, yet these skeletal arrangements show how nuanced he can be. Rush dials things back a notch on Sometimes I Wonder and digs deep into his soul on Hard Times, offering evidence that at heart, hes a song stylist. He can still be lascivious as ever -- witness the happily lewd Shake It for Me -- and thats a skill that gives his covers of the overly familiar Dont Start Me Talkin and Dust My Broom some kick: these arent rote covers, theyre interpretations from a blues master who has more arrows in his quiver than his rowdy reputation may suggest. Such small surprises help make Rawer Than Raw a delight. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine