This one kinda hit me out of left field. A guitar-slinging blueswoman born in Yugoslavia, Ana Popovichas been making big inroads into the blues scene for a while. Her new album Blind For Love (due this Tuesday) works hard to transcend the dull conventions that often define modern blues. Popovic isn't content merely to play a wicked guitar - which she most definitely does - and Blind For Love covers a lot of territory, from scathing rockers to soulful R&B tracks to funky thowdowns to even a gospel rave-up. For the most part, she pulls it off very nicely, though when Popovic whips her guitar out for a lead break, it's easy to define this album as a guitar showcase.
In that department, Ana Popovic is a unique and formidable talent, probably one of the best soloists I've heard in some time. If the material on Blind For Love doesn't quite match the heights of her guitar virtuosity, it's a forgivable shortcoming. She earns a lot of points for stylistic diversity, and with one helluva backing band (most of whom appear on the record), it sounds like Popovic is poised for great things. She may not quite be in league with peers like Susan Tedeschi, but it's easy to imagine her getting there in another album or two.
Very cool, and highly recommended for guitar fans and blues fans alike.
You can download the new single "Nothing Personal" and other info by checking out this eCard for Blind For Love.
