Robert Cray always flirted with gritty Southern soul, but it wasn't until
Sweet Potato Pie that he made a full-fledged soul-blues record in Memphis.
Cray hasn't abandoned blues, but he's woven punchy horns and sexy rhythms into the mix, resulting in one of his stronger records of the '90s. The material remains a bit uneven, but his taste is impeccable -- few blues guitarists are as succinct and memorable as he, and the soul settings of
Sweet Potato Pie only confirm that fact. ~ Thom Owens