Colin Lake

One Thing That’s For Sure
Louisiana Red Hot Records

Colin Lake may have planted his musical style in Portland, but he has certainly had the fruit of his craft ripen since moving to New Orleans. He has started taking that city’s blues and roots scene to another level with his tastefully crafted lyrics and melodic guitar playing. His latest release, One Thing That’s For Sure, has recently been nominated by Offbeat magazine for blues album of the year, while Lake has also been placed on the ballot for vocalist and guitarist, and the song “The World Alive” has a nod for music video.

One Thing That’s For Sure continues with Lake’s knack for creating astounding wordplay. The music moves between rocking tracks (“Pay The Price”), psychedelic (“I’m Trying To Tell You”), easy-going pop (“The World Alive”) or bluesy instrumental (“La Madrugada”), and every number is an original composition. And the lyrics are complex storylines that often detail relationships whether exalting pure joy or getting through the lows as in “If It Ain’t For You” (“I’m sorry for every little thing I do.”).

Guest artists on this disc include North Mississippi All Star guitarist Luther Dickinson, saxophonist Jimmy Carpenter, percussionist Eric Heigle who also handled production duties, and backing vocals from Sasha Masakowski, singer/actress Topsy Chapman and Maggie Koerner from Galactic.

Colin Lake’s musical progression is steadily improving with each and every release. One Thing That’s For Sure is an infective collection of downright musical fun. It’ll make you want to stand up and dance to its ever-pleasing grooves.

Total Time: 52:52

One Thing That’s For Sure / She’s Mine / The World Alive / I’m Trying To Tell You / A Quiet Mind / La Madrugada / Pay The Price / Ninety-Nine Miles / Just Begun / If It Ain’t For You / Lonesome For The West