With a decades-long career and a boatload of albums to her credit, slide queen Joanna Connor is no stranger to blues, rock, pop, soul, and the acoustic-folk tradition.

On her new album, fans of extroverted slide guitar will dig hearing her tear it up on the funk-infused “Two of a Kind” and the severely rockin’ “Mercury Blues.” She absolutely sparkles on “Greatest of These,” as her vocals seamlessly intertwine with lustrous bottleneck work.

Joe Bonamassa steps up to the plate for some uptempo major-pentatonic dueling on “Highway Child,” while Josh Smith adds wicked lines to “Pain and Pleasure” and “House Rules.” ’90s shredder Gary Hoey makes an appearance adding guitar and background vocals on “Shine On,” while Gulf Coast president Mike Zito picks up an axe for “Shadow Lover.” “I Lost You” transcends blues, rock, and R&B – like if Laura Nyro could solo like Santana.

This is Connor’s most-satisfying album to date, displaying her musical eclecticism in the best way – passionate, funky, and soulful. Dig it.

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