Nipping at the heels of wiz-kid blues guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd, who debuted at age 18, comes 16-year-old Jonny Lang, the most soulful guitar slinger ever to make it out of junior high school. Lang's debut, much like Shepherd's LEDBETTER HEIGHTS, features a mix of choice covers and co-written originals. But whereas HEIGHTS leans in a Delta-blues direction, Lang's blues has more of an R&B flavor. The Clavinet and Hammond B-3 organ on the title track and "Hit The Ground Running" help give LIE TO ME a funky swagger. As for influences, Lang's choices of Ike Turner's "Matchbox" and Syl Johnson's "Back For A Taste Of Your Love" show a taste for rousing shuffles and Memphis soul. Lang shows his commercial instincts by wrapping up the album with "When I Come To You" and the acoustic "Missing Your Love," two songs that wouldn't sound out of place on a recent Eric Clapton album.
Disc 1: Lie To Me Darker Side Good Morning Little Schoolgirl Still Wonder Matchbox Back For A Taste Of Your Love Quitter Never Wins Hit The Ground Running Rack 'Em Up When I Come To You There's Gotta Be A Change Missing Your Love