Review: 'Sinner Songwriter' by B.B. King's Nephew Phillip-Michael Scales

Phillip-Michael Scales

By Mike O’Cull

Guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist Phillip-Michael Scales gives out with a powerful indie rock/blues/soul style that’s his, alone, on his new release Sinner Songwriter. Set to drop October 29th, 2021 on Dixie Frog Records, the record is a strong showing for the multi-talented Scales, who just happens to be the nephew of the one and only Mr. B.B. King. To his credit, Scales found his art in the indie rock scene, which he felt more connected to than the old-school blues sound of his famous uncle, and incorporated more blues influences as he grew and evolved.

He calls what he does now “dive bar soul” and that’s an honest, authentic description. Scales is fearless and independent as a musician and has used his skills and attitude to launch an international career. He’s been covered in Rolling Stone France, performed in North America, France, and the Middle East, and opened for the likes of Fantastic Negrito, Anderson East, Guster, David Cook, Bethany Joy Lenz, Matt Hires, Billy Rafoul, Crystal Bowersox, Tyler Hilton, Jon McLaughlin, and Cory Brannan.

Scales heard blues music start speaking to him in a more profound way after King passed away. His politics, identity, and legacy led him into a closer relationship with and to a deeper understanding of the blues and he began to see himself in its notes and lyrics. His first passion is songwriting, however, and Scales has found compelling ways to blend the narratives of indie rock with the fire and physicality of the blues at its best. He wound up with a sound most musicians would never find, one that lifts him above his emerging-artist peers.

Scales opens the set with the driving, funky “Feels Like Home.” He builds the song on an almost Hendrix-like signature riff and works through it to reach a tight, pop/rock chorus and bridge. His vocal presence is warm and articulate, which allows his well-crafted lyrics to make an impact. You’ll hear this track and wonder why you haven’t been wise to this guy all along. Believe.

“O, Hallelujah” is Scales’ single and it’s a luminous, genre-defying winner. It opens with an a cappella holler that morphs into a pulsing verse and a mesmerizing chorus. It’s a song about connecting with the right person at the right time of life, when both people involved have matured into souls who can make it together. It’s a story a lot of folks will relate to and Scales puts it across like he’s lived it. Like many of his songs, it’s nicely structured, not overly long, and doesn’t show an ounce of self-indulgent fat anywhere. This writing style drives its listenability way up and absolutely screams “hit song here.”

“When They Put Me In My Grave” gives the fatalism at the heart of the blues a more modern rock context. It’s haunting, reflective, and a little unsettling in the way great songs should always be. Archie Lee Hooker makes a cool vocal cameo that adds another soulful layer to this immediately-impressive track. It’s the kind of boundary-crossing song that will translate the emotional core of blues music into something that will resonate with a new generation of fans.

“Your Love’s Working Me (To The Bone)” is another vivid example of this sensibility. It’s a heart-wrenching ballad born of the blues but rendered with contemporary sounds, 21st Century R&B percussion, and a wide-open arrangement that’s ripe for a movie soundtrack. Few current performers blur these lines as naturally or as convincingly but Scales takes his voice and guitar where lesser talents could never tread.

“Troubled Water” is a can’t-miss deep cut that filters proper fatherly advice through an acoustic guitar groove and a heart full of gospel and soul. It will heal what hurts you and make the day you first hear it a better place. Phillip-Michael Scales is going to expand a ton of minds with Sinner Songwriter and comes off like a man and musician his legendary uncle would be proud of and that everyone reading these words needs to hear. Stop what you’re doing and listen.

Listen to “Feels Like Home”