Stephen Dale Petit: Cracking the Code Review

Cracking the Code may be a fresh new album on the blues music shelves, but it is a record written by a passionate blues veteran, a man who fronts the New Blues Revolution, a man who has performed with numerous blues rock legends, from Mick Taylor to B.B. King, and a man who is far from letting the inspiring and renowned blues genre slip away into the unappreciated and forgotten musical past. Stephen Dale Petit, a songwriter, singer, guitarist, and blues musician, has been pursuing his musical interests for many years, starting out at a young age in his hometown of Huntington Beach, California. Inspired by musicians like Albert King and scenes like that of the 1960s-1970s blues sensation, which bloomed over in the United Kingdom, Petit has grown in his talent and love for what he feels is an underappreciated musical genre, and is becoming an iconic figure himself for the New Blues generation. With the recent release of his fifth album, Petit is here to prove the world that the blues is here to stay.

Cracking the Code starts out most promising with the song “Holla,” an upbeat track with a heavy, rock ‘n’ roll presence, one that is both unshakably energetic and powerful, driving the rest of the album forward with no turning back. The second track, “Wonder,” has moments of slower, sultry seduction and bits of up-tempo, flailing drumbeats, heavy guitar riffs, and melodic bass lines; the song is a unique creation much like that of a musical puzzle, as each piece fits together seamlessly to create a tune of innovative, blues-inspired musical mastery. “Get You Off” starts out with distorted vocals and a sensual piano intro that is quickly followed by a full rock ‘n’ roll outfit of sound, a lone guitar solo and sexy, provocative lyrics and frisky yet breathy vocals – “I’m gonna get you off; and I’m never gonna stop.” “Hard to Love You” has an insanely catchy, pop rock inspired melody, supported by simpler power chords and absolutely no found lack of musical genius. Again, Petit surprises listeners with “Approximately Perfect Heartbreak,” a song that begins angsty and heavy with wailing, droning guitars, until they slowly bleed into a slow, indulgent instrumental with a single electric guitar singing wildly and unapologetically. The next track, “Muzzle,” starts out sonically trippy and full of friction, and yet the sounds are so perfectly blended so as to flow into a quick, groovy, hard rock track with punchy vocals and immense rock ‘n’ roll vigor that can’t be tamed.

“Riot City,” the record’s seventh track, is shameless, grungy, and rebellious, as if the musicians all pledged to one another with their middle fingers held up toward the sky, to play with absolutely no inhibitions or reservations. “Shotgun Venus” has a glitzy, ’80s vibe, taking the listener back to the funky decade of big hair, leather pants, and an excessive amount of rock star. “Slideway” is a bit of a hostile track with dark, menacing undertones, and it makes use of abrasive, tight, and unique rhythmic movements, which is quite ironic due to the song’s nonchalant, carefree title. “My Friend Bob” is a very different track from the rest of the album. It stands out very much so, not only for its folky, acoustic sound and Frank Turner-esque melodies, but also because it sounds as if it was a simple and true story taken from Petit’s own life, an everyday account made into some timeless musical memory. “Hubert’s Blues,” an instrumental with husky vocal hums and bright guitars, closes the album, carrying that same country-inspired, bluesy feel from “My Friend Bob” to the end, closing the album on a feel-good, sanguine musical note.

Stephen Dale Petit is an artist to truly admire and appreciate. His passion is unquenchable and his talent is undeniable; his album is a timeless piece that could have nestled in perfectly with the record collections of music lovers from the ’60s to those of today. While innovation and ingenuity is a key to good music, sometimes, as Petit proves, putting a new spin on an old sound is just as invigorating and well worth a listen.

The Review: 8.5/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– Holla
– Hard to Love You
– Riot City
– Shotgun Venus

The Big Hit

– Holla

Review by Jill Jacobs