Marcus Bonfanti
Album: Shake The Walls
Label: Jigsaw
Tracks: 11
Website: http://www.marcusbonfanti.com

London based and of Anglo-Italian decent, Marcus Bonfanti, has pretty much been playing the blues since he was sixteen. A brief attendance at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts was supplanted by significant amounts of time on the road, both as part of a band and as a solo artist. His debut album, "Hard Times" hit the shelves in 2008, with "What Good Am I To You" following in 2010. Well recently, he's been into an analogue studio to record album number three, "Shake The Walls."

Compared to his previous cuts, Marcus Bonfanti, has taken "Shake The Walls" down a harder rocking blues route, something that is immediately brought out by the high impact opener, "Alley Cat" and immediately reinforced by "Cheap Whisky".

Of the British Blues boys, I've always felt that Bonfanti is one of the most naturally soulful and I was really pleased to note that despite taking a harder edge to his music, he hasn't compromised that element to his sound to achieve that new sound.

I do have to say that this is not one of the most lyrically challenging albums that you are ever going to face, it takes in a lot of the traditional blues themes, love lost and found and then just a decision about how hard it hits you and then decide what your drink and/or transport of choice is, but in most cases, that's not an issue, because when engaging with the blues here, it's the combination of the music dynamics and waiting for them to take my frustrations away and on that level, "Shake The Walls" is definitely a job done.

"Shake The Walls" is an album that sees Marcus Bonfanti moving his music forward, he makes good use of the new more powerful sound and uses it to emphasise the contrast when he's playing the slower more soulful numbers. Either way, the songs contain some great guitar work to boot for an album that picks you up and carries you along and which feels too short come the end.

Neil King