A grizzly-bear guitar tone and diamond-hard riffs are the strongest cards of this former Albert Collins and John Mayall sideman. Montoya turns them in often on these 11 tunes, right from the opening "Last Dirty Deal," which absolutely roars, to the climactic final solo of "There Ain't No Brakeman on This Train," which concludes the album with a flourish of six-string ferocity. Even the ballads, like "How Do You Sleep at Night," scream with edgy intensity. That's partly because producer Paul Barerre of Little Feat succeeded at capturing the essence of Montoya's live sound, but mostly because Montoya's mentor Collins put his fiery brand on his apprentice's style. It still burns, six albums into Montoya's solo career--especially when he's covering Collins's "Put the Shoe on the Other Foot," a funky shuffle full of bellowing sustained notes and stiletto melodies that reply to his singing. That song's declamatory style also serves Montoya's narrow vocal range well. And while his lyrics occasionally stumble into blues clichés--falling tears, dirty deals--his playing is unfailingly eloquent. --Ted Drozdowski