Ray Bonneville

Bad Man’s Blood (Red House)

A native of Canada, Ray Bonneville has called Austin home for a few years now. He’s a bluesman mining the same vein of America’s musical underbelly as Ray Wylie Hubbard and Greg Brown, and Bad Man’s Blood is a worthy follow-up to 2007’s award-winning Goin’ by Feel. Joined occasionally by Gurf Morlix on electric guitar and bass, Bonneville journeys through dark times with temporary moments of sunshine, all unvarnished and illuminated realistically. With its funky horn chart, “Sugar and Riley” has a shuffling New Orleans vibe. Meanwhile, the sinister subject matter of “Cross and Flowers” is sparked by a subdued guitar duel between Bonneville and Morlix. The disc ends on the upbeat “Funny ‘Bout Love,” a remarkably lighthearted moment after 35 minutes of gloom through the floods of “Mississippi” and the Southern Gothic title track. Altogether, Bad Man’s Blood confirms Bonneville’s stature as one of Americana’s foremost singer-songwriters.

***.5

This article appears in September 30 • 2011.

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