We live in a world where so many artists are trying to find a new sound, are looking to instigate a new scene, set zeitgeists in motion, lead fads and create fashion, that we often forget the old adage of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Blues ain’t broken and the appropriately, and quite brilliantly named, The Blues Against Youth, better known as Gianni Tbay for short, ain’t trying to fix it. Instead, what he does is celebrate it, revel in it, keep it relevant for the modern era and spread the word.
As The Tide Gets High and Low is his 6th album, like so many recent releases the product of lockdown and for Gianni, his first, largley solo affair. There great thing about it is that it is both a reflection of the genre in the modern age and a tip of the hat to this seemingly timeless sound. Blues is a genre built on nameless, faceless, itinerant workers and the music which documented their lives, the poor and the forgotten, and this album is a tribute to those souls lost now in the mists of time.
It is a collection of cool finger-picked acoustic guitars that slide and cascade around their subject matter, a blend of gentle primal screams and dexterous grooves, authentic sounds and modern reverence. Blues might have a long history but it doesn’t have to be a thing of the past. Nor does it need to re-invent itself. Blue is what it is and As The Tide Gets High and Low is the sound of blues remaining relevant, important, soothing and exciting in the modern era.
