Jovin Webb: Son Of A Sinner Review

If you want to make a great cake, there are a few necessary ingredients that you will need. Then, you must combine the proper measurements of each ingredient and bake them together, being careful not to allow it to cook too little or too much. Recording a great album is a similar process, beginning with a great song idea and talented musicians with the ability to translate an idea into music, and then mixing those ingredients into a great song.

Jovin Webb, with the aid of some of the finest musicians and music minds available, has baked up a delicious recording with his Son Of A Sinner album release. Born and raised in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, area, Webb was turned on to blues music by listening to his dad’s blues record collection. He was also influenced as a youngster by the gospel music of his church, where he played drums.

As he got older, he played blues and soul music all around the Gulf Coast area. In addition to being a soulful vocalist and drummer, Webb also plays guitar, piano, and harmonica and is a songwriter. He first gained major recognition as a contestant on American Idol in 2020. Jovin Webb then recorded his first album, Drifter, in 2024, and it received strong critical acclaim.

Son Of A Sinner comes out smoking with “Gunpowder And Lead” as Jovin Webb belts out, “Take a pocket full of money, start waving it around; in a downtown juke joint, there’ll be violence going down. You better back up brother, before you wind up dead. You’re playing around with fire, mixing gunpowder and lead.” Can’t you just picture that scene in your mind?

Let me just say it right now and get it out of the way. These musicians are “aces,” some of the best in the music business, and they’re showing out all through this album. So please allow me to give them a shout-out. You have Kenny Greenberg (guitar), Tom Hambridge (drums and background vocals), Tommy Macdonald (bass), and Mike Rojas (piano/keyboards). These are some of the best that exist, and Jovin Webb’s bluesy, soulful vocal contributions just make this album a really special piece.

Track two of Son Of A Sinner is “Pray For Me,” and it sounds like a very personal piece from Webb. It’s a slow, emotional tune where he sings, “I been a liar, a backslider. I been indulging in my desires.” I really love the guitar work in this one. “So I prayed, down on my knees; asking the Lord to forgive me please.”

Webb continues with pleading vocals: “Pray for me, pray for me, Lord. I need somebody to pray for me.” A tasty Kenny Greenberg guitar solo follows before Webb returns, singing, “Lord I know what you want me to be, but the devil won’t set me free.” The song ends with the line, “I’m just the son of a sinner. Pray for me.” This is one of those tunes that you will not soon forget, and it’s going to roll around in your head long after the music ends.

“After The Rain” is a slow, pretty ballad about a broken relationship. Even though Jovin Webb can belt out heavy, fast-paced tunes, this one demonstrates that he has a softer side. It really is a great selection that appears in exactly the right spot on this album.

He sings, “No more arguing; no more talking on the phone. No more crying; you blame me even if you’re wrong.” I’m loving the fills, great lead break, and outro played by Kenny Greenberg in this one. “I hear the distance in I love you.” Almost every one of us has had to recover from a broken relationship, and Webb is singing about it here in a language that we can all understand. “Our love is gone with the rain. But after the rain, the sun will come shining in to wash away the pain.”

The ninth track of Son Of A Sinner is “It’s Alright,” and it’s a soulful, dance-if-you-want-to song. “Sometimes I get down and I lay awake in bed at night; thinking about my problems and holding that whiskey bottle tight. I had to remind myself I’m only human, but I’m strong enough to fight. And it’s alright, it’s alright to have the blues.”

It sure is alright to have this kind of blues, and Jovin Webb sounds right at home and in the groove singing this one. There’s more great guitar and some sweet keyboard work in this one as well.

I would also like to mention that Son Of A Sinner features two masterfully performed cover songs. Jovin Webb and the band tackle Delbert McClinton’s “Every Time I Roll The Dice” and The Allman Brothers’ “Whipping Post.” I’ll just say, take a listen; they are both great.

Jovin Webb possesses a great voice, selects great songs, and surrounds himself with great musicians. I believe that he is only witnessing the early stages of what will become a long and successful career.

Lionel Richie has said this about Webb: “This is what barbecue sauce sounds like.” BET said, “Jovin Webb is bringing the blues to a new generation.” Webb says of himself, “I’m just a son of a sinner figuring it out.” Aren’t we all?

I would encourage listeners to check out his previous release, Drifter, and other selections available on YouTube. He has one event scheduled in N.C. on September 19 before he heads out to Lithuania for a concert date, followed by a string of dates in France. Consult his social media for more information.

I predict that we will see and hear more of Jovin Webb in the near future, and we shoulld all look forward to what might be next from him.

The Review: 9/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– Gunpowder And Lead
– Pray For Me
– After The Rain
– It’s Alright

The Big Hit

– Pray For Me