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Massachusetts’ Albert Cummings is ready to date again in the track, “Need Somebody”. From his album 10,“Need Somebody” is a blues-rock gem. Us listeners might not discover if he’s found that someone, or if he gets his happy ending, but we sure experience the highs of this journey. Cummings and his crew, which include bass guitarist Scot Sutherland and drummer Warren Grant relish in the sounds in the cinematic music video. “Need Somebody” is hands down one of the year’s best releases – of any genre.
Bringing the same energy he brought to the stage – sharing the stage with the likes of Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Johnny Winter and more, Cummings sounds unstoppable in “Need Somebody”. I was struck by the quick riffs, the seamless changeups and the whole vibe that felt very improvisational. Like if he did practice it at all it was very quick and he was already moving onto the next song in his head. You get the sense immediately with Cummings’ style of guitar playing that he’s not cutting corners, but he’s not going to play by the rules. That might be a bridge to his love life too. “Need Somebody” has off the cuff lyrics and Cummings brews with confidence. His smile is contagious, but behind those pearly whites might be one sly cat. There’s a bounce to his craftsmanship. The way he plays guitar is loose and it feels and looks so easy the way he plays the Strat. He doesn’t waste time with longer-than-life riffs, and the shapes he creates with the guitar are still just as poignant and sharp as if they were coming from Eddie Van Halen or Brian May. Cummings is in a different world than those two, but his style of playing is fantastic. I’m still just wide-eyed with his guitar work.
I thought the music video illustrated that same point. For as much as Cummings is debonair, he’s also rebellious. In the video, he’s performing in a large room (warehouse?) with select lighting and even some filmstrip transitions. Besides Cummings’ audacious guitar playing, I also felt like the camera really loved the devilish grin of drummer Grant. Grant seemed like he was having the time of his life. Special attention, too, is on Cummings’ Fender guitar. After more than two decades in the music business, he’s stuck with Fender.
“Need Somebody” really impressed me. I also really dug the music video – giving me a visual to really connect with the passion that Cummings and his backing band bring to the song. I think the video more than enhanced the song and it really exemplifies why music videos are still the best case scenario for advertising a song. “Need Somebody” doesn’t need the hard sell, though. It’s an instant hit and definitely a track that I would recommend to any music fan. I think some listeners might be convinced that blues rock is old-timey or not as relevant. They are dead wrong when it comes to “Need Somebody”. This song is one huge success story.
Mindy McCall
