Eric Gales was a blues guitar prodigy, winning his first contest at age 11 and releasing his first album at age 16. The Hendrix comparisons were obligatory; he added enough overdrive and psychedelic twists to earn nods towards the legend. But while one can hear the ghosts of Hendrix in the down-and-dirty guitar grinds of “Block the Sun” and “The Liar,” Gales has clearly found his own voice. This album is, quite simply, explosive. He can take a shuffle and turn it inside out (“The Finest Club In Town”) or bring back the early ‘70s with a heavy, slow blues (“When You’ve Got No Place to Go”). His singing is limited but pure and the band pushes him to be in top form. The extra funk of “If You Knew The Truth” is an ensemble gem, each part working towards a satisfying full-band attack. The eight minutes plus of “On the Wings of Rock and Roll” is a guitar player’s dream, with the multi-layered “Universal Peacepipe” ending things on an elaborate, sustained note.