Review: Ally Venable ‘Real Gone!’

By Mike O’Cull

Texas blues/rock firebrand Ally Venable blasts all the way off on her fifth solo album Real Gone!.

The new record makes impact on March 24th, 2023 on Ruf Records and is the coming-of-age release her life and career have been building toward since she first broke out at just 16 years old. The sessions were produced by Grammy winner Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Susan Tedeschi), who pulled amazing performances out of everyone on the record, including special guests Buddy Guy and Joe Bonamassa. Venable not only brings a big voice and mad guitar skills to the soirée but also remarkable original songs about living and evolving in these modern times. She touches the past, present, and future all at once and is at the vanguard of blues music’s next generation.

Ally Venable has been a sensation since her first record No Glass Shoes caught the world by the ear in 2016. She’s a hot-handed guitarist who slings a mighty Les Paul with an authority well beyond her years. Venable also delivers on vocals with a strong belt and a naturally full tone. In 2022, Guitar World Magazine named Ally one of the Top 15 ‘Young Guns’ Making the Gibson Les Paul Cool Again.

Ally performed as a featured artist on the Experience Hendrix Show in Austin, TX and appeared alongside Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Zack Wilde, Eric Johnson, Dweezil Zappa, and other major artists. Her performances on Ruf Records’ European Blues Caravan tour brought her international acclaim and recognition. She has also toured the U.S. with Buddy Guy and Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Canada with Colin James. Now, at only 23, Venable has more than proved her point.

From the first gloriously overdriven chords of her title song “Real Gone” that kicks off the album, Venable bosses up and goes hard. She and her rhythm section of Isaac Pulido (drums) EJ Bedford (bass) are a formidable unit and Venable immediately shows the level of grit required to rock a stadium. Her guitar lines scream and rage, her vocals slice through the mix, and a driving groove pushes the tune down the road.

“Going Home” shifts into a moodier, mid-speed feel that lets Ally inject more open space into the arrangement. Her emotive vocals are the focus of the song but Venable’s lead licks vibe with a cocked-wah tone that will resonate in your speakers for a good long time.

“Texas Louisiana” with Buddy Guy

 
Venable gets together with the unstoppable Buddy Guy on the single “Texas Louisiana” and throws down a rollicking blues tune that celebrates both performer’s Southern heritage. The energy coming off of this one is off the charts and the way Venable and Guy toss the lead vocal and lead guitar roles back and forth shows the easy chemistry the two artists share. It’s one of the best new songs any of us will encounter this year.

The acoustic intro of “Blues Is My Best Friend” has a country blues feel to it but the band kicks in and gives it an electric jolt. The tune’s steady, cracking pulse supports a lot of fine vocal and guitar work. Venable is a spot-on singer capable of expressing herself in multiple ways without crashing and lets her voice occupy the majority of open air in this tale of what life with a blues player is all about.

Real Gone! reels off one highlight after another but you’re going to want to spend some extra time with cuts like the fierce “Kick Your Ass” and the chugging “Hold My Ground.” Venable strikes an ideal balance of singing, songwriting, and guitar slinging on this new effort. It has huge crossover potential and will likely elevate her to the top of the contemporary blues scene. Spin it once and you’ll understand.

Pre-order ‘Real Gone!’ Here