Jesus Christ! Quinn Sullivan’s only about six months older than my daughter; draw up the coffin and let me step within disgracefully right now. Apparently, he appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres show when he was just six years old. His debut album, Cyclone, came out in 2011, when he was 12. He’d already played with the likes of Buddy Guy and B.B. King by then. That Joe Bonamassa fella, he was a slow starter compared to this guy.

Yet, on the evidence of new long player Salvation, and thus far a random selection of songs from a handful of other albums, Sullivan’s influences may have been the blues but he’s not a purist, nor a shredder. Rather, a somewhat introspective songwriter who applies blues rock to his narrative needs. Truth to tell, in isolation, as tracks were released as singles, they appeared okay but I wasn’t really giving them the attention they needed, and even more the deep cuts heard on the album prove gems.

You come here looking for influences? I’ll offer you George Benson, maybe Carlos Santana, and, by pure chance, even some weird amalgamation of Steve Miller and our own Dave Edmunds when he roughs it up on guitar. I’m more taken with his voice, there you hear the mannerisms of Michael Jackson, possibly the intonations of Leo Sayer, and many a soulful port that yacht rock cared to sail into. Actually, there’s a number of youngish guys like him singing what’s ostensibly being called the blues, and doing it quite beautifully. Our gain, the god damn current pop industry’s loss.

The album opens with the kind of drum roll ancient sods like me would tell you Chinn and Chapman patented in our glorious glam rock youth, for the likes of Sweet and Mud. However, it’s not boys dressing up as girls that ‘Dark Love’ is about (Trans? Give me strength! We were unisexual, sugar-babe!). No, rather, according to Sullivan himself, it’s “about those toxic relationships you can’t seem to leave” More specifically, “It’s a story of two people who are so wrong for each other, but there’s that fire that keeps them together, even though they know it’s bad. We’ve all been there.” Well, most of us, yeah. Drum beat aside, musically it’s a mid-paced strutting and stomping blues take on Wings’ ‘Medicine Jar’ with added attitude, given a singalong hook. Short, sweet, a rocking piano gives way to a vocal squeal, followed by a raunchier guitar solo, then some vocal callouts right up to the song’s exit.

While I have no evidence to prove it either way, ‘Dark Love’ might well prove the kind of work song a male stripper could find worthy of appropriation. More so, ‘Salvation (Make Me Wanna Pray)’ with its dark funky wah-wah ass-shaking guitar on this soul rocker. Now, the song uses the metaphor of spiritual discovery to delve into the  impact of a captivating love. It’s a tune that speaks to the transformative power of an intense connection, but it might take a few listens before you want to start appreciating that aspect to the song, rather than the Hendrix/Ernie Isley sexy guitar wailing.

A more traditional slide boogie number, but with a good time modern spruce-up is ‘Rise Up Children’ who declared: “It’s a song about young people taking control of their future, which is happening more and more every day.” Thematically, in an adjacent well-being vein, follows ‘Don’t Wanna Die Today’ that’s funk rock racing with dark purpose one minute, then pulls out into a joyful catharsis release the next.

One of the personal highlights on the album for me is ‘Once Upon A Lie’. Sullivan, apparently, began this number six years ago, but only finished it in time for Salvation. Imagine an amalgamation of Earth, Wind & Fire and The Little River Band, with The Doobie Brothers‘ Patrick Simmons playing the guitar solo. Don’t think it’ll work? It most surely does, my friends. Damn classy and timeless. Watch out, I might start daddy-dancing to this one!

Following the cool pop route, we get ‘Better In Love’, an acoustic lilt that’s a little Craig David, maybe a little like 80s band Linx, even pre-hit album-orientated Hall & Oates built for smooth radio, but no less affecting. ‘Leave No Love Behind’ has some of that broad but quite machismo present on opening number ‘Dark Love’, whereas here its potential sexual allure comes by way of a South American Latin-inflected bold dance rhythm.

‘I Can’t Stay (& You Can’t Go)’ is old school bump ‘n grind but easy-in-the-saddle blues rock that arrives aptly to fill its spot, with some tasty solo wailing deserving of the listener’s attention. More old school, but this time pretty much a nightclub disco track we get ‘Nothin’ Gonna Change My Mind’. For those of us ancient enough to recall the romance of slow dancing round in circles with a member of the opposite sex (not that nookie was on the cards) at school discos, we get ‘Eyes On Me’ that again has the emotional pull of early Hall & Oates or the Elvin Bishop Band’s ‘Fooled Around & Fell In Love’.

Sullivan has described ‘Half My Heart‘ as one of his personal favourites on the album. “Half My Heart‘ is about that profound sense of loss when someone you’ve shared your life with drifts away,” he’s noted. “The line ‘You didn’t have to steal ‘cause you had the key,’ really embodies the whole song for me. It’s a reflection on how painful it can be when you’ve given everything to someone, only to be let down. It’s a feeling many of us know all too well.” Choice chords play through the changes on this number that’s reminiscent of early solo Clapton album tracks, as if sung – at least in part – by George Harrison, while you can picture McCartney behind the mixing desk window giving an approving nod. It’s a fine album closer, save if you purchase the CD version you also get a live rendition of blues classic ‘Eyesight To The Blind’, as performed by Clapton on the film version of The Who’s Tommy, but here imagine Clapton in fiery ‘Forever Man’ mode, but also with dockings of the cap to both Stevie Ray Vaughn and Carlos Santana. It’s an unexpected powerful rendition, demonstrating the wide range of influences this young man has and who he’s able to channel them to make him a purposeful musician likely to have a long-term career ahead of him.

For people who like songs rather than strict genre categorisations Salvation serves up a healthy and filling meal. They’re varied, and generally well arranged, what possibly makes it work so well overall is that Quinn Sullivan has reached an age where his voice has developed strength and versatility and he the maturity to use it well.

• Reviewed by Paul H Birch.

• Salvation is released via the Provogue/Mascot Label Group and is available now (from here)

• Official Website | Facebook | X | YouTube Channel

Track List:

1. Dark Love
2. Salvation (Make Me Wanna Pray)
3. Rise Up Children
4. Don’t Wanna Die Today
5. Once Upon A Lie
6. Better In Love
7. Leave No Love Behind
8. I Can’t Stay (& You Can’t Go)
9. Nothin’ Gonna Change My Mind
10. Eyes On Me
11. Half my Heart
12. Eyesight to the Blind (Live CD Bonus Track)