“Deep Blues” by Murali Coryell is an album that leaves mixed feelings, as it stands as a firm and solid release but that falls short of the brightness that could be found in the all-time genre’s classics. Rating somewhere around three out of five stars, the album plays out as an honest journey through blues roots, where Coryell shows an undeniable guitar technique and a palpable passion in every chord he plays. The album’s highlights lie in the deep respect for the traditional sound and its pristine production, which beautifully captures the warmth of the instruments and the artist’s seasoned vocal maturity across several of the main tracks.

However, the project suffers from a certain lack of innovation that prevents it from truly standing out in an overloaded musical scene. As the entire track list only includes covers, the songs often fall into predictable and occasionally run-of-the-mill structures that many times have been explored by countless blues artists. Although the delivery and performance are clean and feeling is always there, a daring touch or a bright spark of originality to break the mold and enhance the album, are missed.

An album that genre purists will thoroughly enjoy for a pleasant spin at any time of day, but that remains halfway between a well-delivered homage to the essence of the blues and a truly memorable masterpiece.