Sue Foley: Pinky’s Blues Review

The legendary Canadian blues woman Sue Foley has an out-of-the-ordinary mastery of the guitar and blues vocabulary, as well as being a great songwriter and vocalist. With nearly thirty years of career and dozens of albums released, Foley has proved beyond a reasonable doubt why she deserves her prominent place in the modern blues rock scene. However, far from settling down, she introduces us to her brand new album, Pinky’s Blues, named after her pink paisley Fender Telecaster.

Armed with the iconic instrument and supported by drummer Chris Layton and bassist Jon Penner, Foley dwells in the Texas blues heritage and blazes through a clever assemblage of covers and originals, whose live in-studio sound was made even better by the expertise of producer Mike Flanigin and sound engineer Chris Bell. Let us probe the outcome of this enterprise by examining some of the songs.

The album kickstarts with its title track. “Pinky’s Blues” is a raw, gritty instrumental number filled with penetrating, wolfish lead guitar lines.  A first-rate commencement that sets the tone for the following track, Angela Sthreli’s “Two Bit Texas Town”, a mid-tempo, effective blues rocker. The line “I remember Muddy Waters, Hoochie Coochie Man” denounces one of Foley’s biggest influences.

A similar circumstance occurs in the next track, the Foley original “Dallas Man”. As suggested by its title, the song is a tribute to the great blues musicians that came from Dallas. Spirited and catchy, the song is one of the album’s highlights. The slow blues heartbreak comes with another Angela Sthreli original. “Say It’s Not So” features some magnificent guitar work as well as a very expressive vocal performance. The short, yet intense cut “When The Cat’s Gone” ends the album on a high note.

The 12-track Pinky’s Blues is a strong offering that presents a fine selection of blues songs rooted in the Texas tradition, flavored with Sue Foley’s magical touch. Certainly, a nice treat to any blues rock fan.

The Review: 8/10

Can’t Miss Tracks 

– Pinky’s Blues
– Two Bit Texas Town
– Dallas Man
– Say It’s Not So

The Big Hit 

– Dallas Man

Buy the album: Amazon | Amazon UK