Eric Gales
spent a good portion of his career in the wilderness -- chalk it up to a combination of bad breaks and addiction -- but he came storming back in 2017 with
Middle of the Road
, his first album for
Provogue
/
Mascot Records
. Peaking at four on the Billboard Blues chart,
brought
Gales
back in a big way, giving him the confidence to push himself on its 2019 sequel
Bookends
. Working with producer
Matt Wallace
-- a stalwart of '90s alt-rock who worked with
Maroon 5
after spending time with
the Replacements
and
Faith No More
--
doesn't reinvent the wheel, but he does place a greater emphasis on singing and song than he has in the past. It's a subtle but notable difference, one that helps
feel fuller and sharper than many of
' past albums and one that also accentuates the recovery undercurrents that flow through the album. By the time he teams up with guest vocalist
Beth Hart
for a slow-burning version of "With a Little Help from My Friends" -- the second notable cameo on the record, following
Doyle Bramhall II
's appearance on the neo-autobiographical epic "Southpaw Serenade" -- it's clear that
has managed to give not only familiar tunes but familiar blues-rock forms an identifiable stamp, born of both passion and precision. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine