Coco Montoya

In the five years he spent with Albert Collins and the decade he spent in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Coco Montoya learned the value of balance. His guitar work impresses, but just as important, it rings with crystalline clarity. So do his vocals, which check aggression with seasoned control. Montoya’s fifth solo album, Can’t Look Back, is a present-tense blend of rock and soul that says volumes about the vitality of the blues. Its only concern with musical purity is keeping it coming straight from the heart, which is what makes the polish so poignant. When you handle a broken heart, you handle it with care.