Tommy Castro & The Painkillers Closer To The Bone (CD)

(Alligator Records) 13 tracks, digisleeve

Blues and rock legend Tommy Castro returns to his blues roots on “Closer To The Bone”, which is sure to thrill audiences. Tommy Castro is one of the most popular roots music artists in the world, thanks in no small part to his electrifying albums and one of the best-attended live performances in the entire music industry.

“Closer To The Bone” is the highly anticipated new album from California-based blues powerhouse Tommy Castro, following his successful 2021 studio album ‘Tommy Castro Presents A Bluesman Came To Town’. Castro, known for his electrifying guitar work and infectious vocals, and his band, the Painkillers, bring an unfiltered, stripped-down approach to this collection, which the four-time Blues Music Award winner calls “the record I've always wanted to make.”

With “Closer To The Bone”, Castro and the Painkillers - bassist Randy McDonald, keyboardist Mike Emerson and drummer Bowen Brown - strip the music down to its core. The album contains a mixture of Castro's own dark compositions such as “Ain't Worth The Heartache” and “Crazy Woman Blues” alongside very personal interpretations of songs by blues legends and unsung heroes. Highlights include Johnny Nitro's “One More Night”, Magic Slim's “Hole In The Wall” and Jimmy Nolen's “The Way You Do”. Castro even breathes new life into “Bloodshot Eyes” by Wynonie Harris and “She Moves Me” by Johnny “Guitar” Watson. “These are not the usual suspects for covers,” explains Castro. “I wanted to focus on the deeper tracks and the artists that inspire me.”