POP MUSIC REVIEWS : Robert Cray Makes Guitar Weep, but Also Whine, Beg, Moan, Giggle on Demand

Robert Cray knows how to make his guitar speak volumes about life’s trials, as evidenced by the bleeding solo he laid down on the plaintive “She’s Gone” from his “False Accusations” album during his sold-out show at the Celebrity Theatre in Anaheim on Thursday.

Whether he’s going for a series of staccato chords or an intricate solo, Cray can make his guitar whine, beg, moan and giggle, as his songs demand. And he does so with an ease that underscores his ability.

In fact, much of what sets the Robert Cray Band apart from most of its peers is this: In spite of the musicians’ unobtrusive appearance, every member of the band more than pulls his weight without being overbearing. Bassist Richard Cousins and drummer David Olson always kept a rock steady rhythm foundation without calling undue attention to themselves.

Having such strong support allows Cray to get on with the business of bringing the blues up to date. Though some have taken the 33-year-old artist to task for what they view as blatant diluting of the blues form, it was obvious by the enthusiastic response of the crowd that Cray is indeed garnering an audience outside traditional blues fans.

If songs such as “Phone Booth” and “More Than I Can Stand” are close to straight-ahead blues, others such as the percolating “Change of Mind, Change of Heart,” the cocktail ballad “The Last Time I Get Burned Like This” and the pop-oriented “Smoking Gun” all threaten to bring blues into the mainstream. But Cray takes pains to keep his music vital and valid.

The new material he tried at the Celebrity, much of which fell in a slow-to-middle tempo range, didn’t stray far from the mood of what he has created to this point.

There are no easy hooks when Cray is on stage. Every song has a guitar solo, yet somehow they don’t become monotonous, thanks to Cray’s style and his eloquence with the instrument.

Part of what made those solos work is that Cray kept things short and to the point. Also, Peter Boe’s keyboard fills and occasional solos provided a sense of counterpoint to the glimmering guitar notes that poured off the stage.

But just as important as Cray’s brilliance with a guitar is his skill as a vocalist, turning words into conversations--either as a direct confrontation or as one friend talking to another. With a voice that’s simple and friendly, Cray takes on a home-boy persona, even when he’s singing songs with the nastiest implications, like “Right Next Door (Because of Me).”

But Cray’s willingness to hit some of life’s uglier subjects--infidelity, sex without caring--continues to lend his blues an edge and a grittiness drawn from real life. And when all is said and done, the blues is nothing but real life set to music.