It took
Dave Weld five years to deliver a sequel to his 2010 Delmark debut Burnin' Love, but
Slip into a Dream is worth the wait: it's a bold, swinging collection of modern Chicago blues.
Weld is an enthusiastic singer but he happily cedes the spotlight to his partner Monica Myhre, who not only usually takes the lead but contributes many of the originals, either in collaboration with
Weld or on her own. Both
Weld and Myhre dig the conventions of Chicago blues but find ways to infuse their own personalities into the familiar 12 bars, a stamp evident in both the compositions and the performances. Where
Weld impresses is with his outsized guitar -- this, along with a cover of "20% Alcohol," is where his debt to
J.B. Hutto is clear -- but the whole thing rocks: it's a lively, soulful testament to the lasting power of classic Chicago blues. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine