Solomon Hicks: How Did I Ever Get This Blue Review
On January 23, 2026, Solomon Hicks will release his new album, How Did I Ever Get This Blu,e from Mascot Records. The album is a mix of covers and originals, with the covers slightly outnumbering the originals. At the risk of using the framing twice, How Did I Ever Get This Blue also has highs and lows, with the highs outnumbering the lows. Hicks, a promising up-and-coming presence in the blues rock genre, has a knack for building a classic blues feeling in his tracks while updating the sound with injections of jazz, rock, funk, and gospel.
Hicks is joined on the How Did I Ever Get This Blue by: DJ Logic on turntables, Kevin McCormick on bass, French vocalist Bénabar on backup vocals, Joanna Connor on slide guitar, Tommy Mandel on keys, Keith Shocklee on digital drums, John Nemeth on harmonica, Les Warner on drums, Chris ‘Whipper’ Layton on drums, and Frank Amato on backing vocals. The band’s work really shines throughout, and each player gets a moment in the spotlight to really stand out at least for one track apiece.
How Did I Ever Get This Blue starts strong, is anchored midway with solid tracks, and ends strong, with only the more contemporary pop covers sticking out as not quite reaching the heights of the rest of the album. In fact, I scored every track on the album as a seven or above out of 10 with the exceptions of the Bruno Mars and Adele covers “When I Was Your Man” and “Rumour Has It,” respectively. “When I Was Your Man” is a slower soulful take on the original, while “Rumour Has It” adds more of a 70s rock feel that, for whatever reason, didn’t resonate for me the way the rest of How Did I Ever Get This Blue did.
For my money, the strongest track is “Driftin’ And Driftin’,” which features a crunchy rocker guitar tone and fun organ work that make for a refreshing and interesting sound contract from the previous two tracks, “Further On Up The Road” and “Dimples,” which are made up of more traditional (and less rock-infused) soundscape. This tonal shift early on in the album makes the primary thematic point that it seems Hicks is going for: respecting and continuing blues tradition while moving into the future and pulling other estimable genre traditions in to build a stand-out sound.
The title track, “How Did I Ever Get This Blue” and “I’m Burning Up,” tracks six and seven, respectively, operate as a matched set or originals on How Did I Ever Get This Blue. “How Did I Ever Get This Blue” features a killer harmonica intro and a memorable emergency siren part in the outro that bookend a restrained, mature blues classic that feels timeless, while “I’m Burning Up” boasts a groovy honkytonk guitar tone over a hip hop-esque drum beat that encompasses Hicks’ style in a single unit. Both tracks stand firmly alongside the tried-and-tested covers on the album.
All in all, How Did I Ever Get This Blue is a respectable effort from a growing artist in blues rock. Hicks and the band achieve what they set out to do: mix traditional blues with other genre influences and contemporary techniques to build a sound all their own. How Did I Ever Get This Blue is a great way to ring in the new year and a strong omen that 2026 will continue the winning streak blues rock fans have enjoyed in 2025.
The Review: 7.5/10
Can’t Miss Tracks
– Further On Up The Road
– How Did I Ever Get This Blue
– Memphis, Tennessee
– Driftin’ And Driftin’
The Big Hit
– Driftin’ And Driftin’