Eric Saradinas CD - 'Black Pearls'

If you are still waiting for the next Stevie Ray Vaughan, the suspense is over. Eric Sardinas has both the look and the guitar chops. Not only are his clothes flamboyant, but he often uses an electric Dobro, which gives him a unique sound. It sounds like he is playing slide, but there is enough difference to make songs like “Same Old Way” interesting.
Sardinas uses a lot of clichés in his writing (all the songs on Black Pearls are his own). He makes up for it in attitude, though. Whether he is playing acoustically or amplified, you can hear the swagger come through the recording. When Sardinas’s woman has done him wrong, you know it.
Sardinas is best acoustically. On “Wicked Ways” he goes without his bassist and drummer to do a hard-driving solo performance on a Dobro, which is a rare feat (there are a few added effects, but Sardinas is playing alone here).
Most of the CD is blues rock, but heavier and better played than most. The CD also has a popup when played on a PC that connects to Sardinas’s website for an exclusive movie of live performance and interviews.
Web site at www.ericsardinas.com

- Dave Howell