Several years after being liberated from Supersonic Blues Machine, Lance Lopez is back and better than ever. Wielding hard lessons from the road and the influence of players named Billy, Jimi, and B.B., his latest album, Trouble is Good, is wild, blistering, and hellacious. As proof, he rips holy hell on slide guitar during the opening track, “Easy To Leave,” showing that Shreveport’s favorite son is just getting warmed up.

On “Jam With Me,” Lopez welcomes listeners on a euphoric blues-rock odyssey with help from his Gibson Firebird and veteran rock drummer Gregg Bissonette. A schweet bottleneck intro introduces the rockin’ title track, while “Wild Country” shows that Lopez can slam with the best of them, fusing British rock and roll and Texas flame

This is an album for extroverts, slowing down only for the crunchy ballad “Uncivil War,” with Lopez reflecting on the state of the world, and the seven-minute mystical opus “Voyager: Sunrise, Voyager, I Am Ra.”

Discerning blues-rock fan? Come and get it!

This article originally appeared in VG’s December 2023 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.