Tommy Castro's sixth release for the Blind Pig label,
Painkiller, picks up where his 2003 set,
Soul Shaker, left off. This time around, producer
John Porter -- who has worked with
Santana,
Taj Mahal,
B.B. King, and
Buddy Guy -- positions
Castro's
Delbert McClinton/
Southside Johnny vocal grit in front of a punchy horn section and rounds out the date with a few guest artists. Unlike many similar modern blues projects of good intentions but lackluster performances, the combinations on
Painkiller never sound forced. In particular, the
Albert Collins track, "A Good Fool Is Hard to Find," has
Coco Montoya and
Castro trading vocal jabs and guitar riffs, and
Angela Strehli's passionate vocal on
Freddie King's "If You Believe (In What You Do)" is likewise another highlight of this overall triumphant rock 'n' soul album. ~ Al Campbell