EDITORS’ NOTES

Austin's Gary Clark Jr. grew up in one of the nation's most musical cities so it's no surprise just how diverse his influences are. He's drawing from a world between '60s psychedelia and hip-hop song structure. Stylistically, his major label debut offers some fuzztone-drenched blues riffs wrapped around bits of classic rock and R&B. With songs like "Numb" and "Ain't Messin 'Round", he fits more in with the blues crowd that identifies with The Black Keys than any of your Hall of Fame axe-wielders. It's precisely this element–invoking passion and stripped-down power over licks–that makes Gary Clark Jr. such a fascinating figure.