Shoulda Been Home ~ Robert Cray ~ Jazz - Blues ~ CD ~ Good

Editorial Reviews

Twenty years into his recording career, Robert Cray finds fresh nuances in his personal bent of soul-blues through interpretations of original songs from his keyboard player, Jim Pugh, as well as from the rich history of roots music. His singing throughout the new Steve Jordan-produced album is rich and strong, per usual, and his terse, economical, tremolo guitar now surprises for its similarity to the sound favored by Georgian Robert Ward. All in all, however, the tunes Pugh has given him are unexceptional, and the updates of two Elmore James songs and a Stax item show Cray's deep empathy for tradition without noticeably improving on the original performances. Still, Cray's songwriting about the distressing vagaries of romance has been a strong suit since he gained national fame in the early 1980s--"Already Gone" and "No One Special" are highlights--though the catchy first track, "Baby's Arms," sacrifices tension for sentimentality. --Frank-John Hadley