Tommy Castro
Painkiller
(Blind Pig)

Ace West Coast blues guitarist/vocalist Tommy Castro meshes both sides of his musical personality on his latest release. Painkiller includes numbers like “I Roll When I Rock,” “It’s That Time Again” and the slashing cover of Freddie King’s “If You Believe (In What You Do),” where the explosive, inventive instrumentalist side emerges and Castro demonstrates his imagination and technical abilities as a soloist without neglecting to deliver a loose and inviting vocal performance.
At other times, especially during biographical numbers like “Big Sister’s Radio” and “It Ain’t Easy Bein’ Me” or heartache and soul wailing sagas such as “I’m Not Broken” or the update of Albert Collins’ “A Good Fool Is Hard To Find” Castro displays the authority and dramatic touches as a singer who distinguishes himself from rivals who can match the licks but can’t duplicate his interpretative edge.
Painkiller counts as another major triumph for Tommy Castro, a tremendous contemporary stylist in every aspect of the blues.