Forgiven

The third studio album by the brothers Garza opens in the middle of a festival friendly jam — like someone dropped the phonograph needle in the median of a mellow Santana solo. This lasts 15 seconds before "Heart Won't Tell A Lie" kicks out a heavy rocking strut that exposes Henry Garza's soulful and versatile guitar playing. He bursts out of the intro with classic tone and his signature funk-blues style that's sure to garner many a Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan comparison. The title track downshifts to a mid-tempo ballad that's enveloped in rich, rootsy instruments and romantic balladeering with airtight sibling vocal harmonies. Forgiven's first single "Staying With Me" grooves with a Latin "Oye Como Va" flavor, but the vocal melodies sound imported from old Stax soul. You can really hear the chemistry of the band; they sound like they've been playing out every night since 2006's Sacred. Balancing tradition with innovation, they're inventing a music culling from blues, soul, country, Tejano, norteño folk, classic rock, and pop.