Single Review: Breakthrough by Joe Bonamassa

Blues legend Joe Bonamassa blazes back into action with Breakthrough, the title track from his new album due for release on 18 July.

Now in 2025, Joe Bonamassa must surely be considered a titan of the Blues, such has been his impact and influence on this most important and honest style of music. Prolific in his output, creating and releasing music over the years that explores the highways, byways and alleyways of what the Blues is and can be, he’s a journeyman performer, developing his own signature sound, that, in common with other legends such as Carlos Santana, means that from hearing just one note, you know exactly who is playing.

Breakthrough is 4:10 minutes of Blues Rock perfection, the sound of an artist at the absolute pinnacle of his game. With nothing left to prove to anyone but himself, he’s produced a dazzling song that is at the same time a treat for long-time Blues connoisseurs, whilst also being accessible and eminently contemporary. It’s a tricky line to tread but Joe does it effortlessly, his playing and performance timeless in style, devastating in execution. And really what can be said about his guitar playing that hasn’t been said before– preternaturally talented, Joe shows once again why he should be considered in the pantheon of the greats. His fabulous technical abilities are unquestionable, however they are nothing without feeling and soul, and Joe is a master of ensuring that emotion is never sacrificed on the altar of technique.

Breakthrough is the perfect of example of this, every lick, every phrase, precisely deployed for maximum emotional, sonic effect. The verse swings and grooves building and building to the chorus with its gorgeous harmony backing vocals, however when Joe lets rip on his guitar it’s straight out of the Blues, playbook, his guitar crying and wailing, desperate and beauteous, coaxing every last drop of passion from those six-strings..

Working again with long-time collaborator, legendary producer Kevin ‘Caveman’ Shirley, has once again reaped dividends. There are so many disparate musical elements to Breakthrough, not just in Joe’s vocal and guitar performance but also in the shimmering Hammond-esque keys, gospel-tinged backing vocals to name but two, but Shirley’s immaculate production brings them all together in one seamless whole that is even greater than the sum of its parts.

Beautifully constructed, exquisitely played and wonderfully produced, it really doesn’t get any better than this…