MuzikReviews.com
Shine Like The Sun
March 7, 2009.

On their second effort Shine Like The Sun, Blues Divine creates a textured album. All of the songs are firmly rooted in the blues, but Blues Divine makes the most of its wide variety of talented musicians to write uniquely arranged songs that make the typical blues sound more interesting. Shine Like The Sun is an album for fans of the blues and clever song writing alike.

Blues Divine definitely proves they can play blues with everything fans of the genre are looking for on the opener "Knockin." The track has a classic blues feel thanks to punchy, funky guitar rhythms and strong solos. Piano and sax melodies fill the track out perfectly. "Knockin" may sound like what you'd expect out of a blues band, but it doesn't change the fact that the song is well played and will be instantly enjoyed by blues fanatics.

Likewise, the lively rhythms and powerful sax parts of "Don't Settle For Less" is an example of the blues at its best. The track also benefits from powerful, choir vocals. Following "Don't Settle For Less" is "Apocalypse Blues", another song that blues fans will find impossible not to enjoy. Here, Blues Divine keeps the infectious guitar and horn melodies that drive the album. However, the song features a greater emphasis on piano and organ that separates it from many of the other tracks.

At other points on Shine Like The Sun, Blues Divine adds elements from other genres to their blues foundation. "Down By The River" starts with an organ solo that's straight out of gospel. The up-stroked guitar rhythms of the song also give off a pleasant reggae vibe. The mixing of styles really helps to distinguish Blues Divine from other bands in their genre.

Later, Blues Divine has success mixing styles again on "LA Breakdown." The track benefits from a bass line that's pure 70's funk. Once again, Blues Divine becomes instantly more intriguing by getting outside the normal blues sound. Blues Divine even has success with a country/bluegrass sound on the title-track "Shine Like The Sun."

Over all, Blues Divine has all the classic blues elements that a fan of the genre could want on Shine Like The Sun. The band also does a great job of standing out from other blues groups by freely mixing styles.

Chris Homer, Assistant Editor, MuzikReviews.com
©MuzikReviews.com. March 7, 2009.
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Blueswax Ezine, US.
That's What It Takes
July 30, 2008.

Smooth Blues
Kentucky-born guitarist Philip Franchini debuts his Blues chops on the 2006 recording from Blues Divine, That's What It Takes. Now residing in Southern California, according to the Net, Franchini has also released the Flamenco/Classical album Paleo under the moniker Phillipo Franchini after spending numerous years overseas. Regardless of his musical meanderings, Franchini is a competent player with a polished palette of arrangements and smooth vocal lines. His distinctive voice is warm and, wonder of wonders, he can carry a tune.

Throughout the album Franchini displays a wide range of musical styles while maintaining a comfortable sound that most Blues fans will immediately warm to. From the up-tempo, radio-friendly, and horn-driven Little Milton-styled "Other Men's Crimes" to a more traditional "Delta One," Franchini seems comfortable moving about the Blues spectrum with ease. Joined by Albert Lee and David Grissom, Franchini's band includes a horn section that repeatedly graces with album with strong lines and good arrangements. Backup vocalists C.C. White and Raquel Allegra add great depth and texture to Franchini's able vocals.

This is a very smooth and readily digestible album of contemporary Blues with strong melody lines and slick arrangements. I have to imagine that Franchini's Blues are right up the alley and in the pocket for non-Purists Blues music fans that want to widen their scope to include new and skilled artists. I would speculate Blues Divine is to modern Blues what the Doobie Brothers were to Rock 'n' Roll; competent, perhaps too slick for critics, but very popular, very skilled songwriters that moved easily within the more commercial arenas with his easy to grasp arrangements and emoted lyrics. I would readily recommend this album to those Blues fans looking for a bit more melody and a lot less twang-bar-driven jamming.

Rick Galusha is a contributing editor at BluesWax.
You may contact Rick at blueswax@visnat.com.