Full Review

Manny Blu, Born To Ride Review

Manny Blu is a vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter with a fresh vibe to country music, creating an original sound with elements of blues and rock & roll influences, while still being clearly country music. Before Blu crisscrossed North America as a country singer and a true road warrior—playing nightly shows in support of his 2019 debut album Leave It Like It Is, Blu spent his time on another stage. More specifically, an MMA octagon, as Blue was a professional MMA fighter until a leg injury left him unable to compete in professional matches. He found himself at home in Montreal, recovering from a torn quadricep and looking for a new passion for passing the time. He found a renewed appreciation for music: first, the guitar-driven blues of B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and John Mayer; next, the easygoing swagger and relatable storytelling of modern country. Accompanying himself on the guitar and singing, Blu began taking requests from friends that came over to the house to visit. Those casual performances marked his first-time playing music for anyone, and the experience left a permanent mark on him and ignited his musical passion further. “That was how it all started,” Blu remembers. “All of my friends were living in other towns, playing hockey. They’d come back to Montreal during the summer, once hockey season was over, and they’d ask me to play the country songs they’d been listening to. I learned all the hits…and I learned there’s a culture and a vibe to country music that’s like nothing else.” Blu is getting ready to release his second EP titled New Ink on November 13, 2020. Now he is releasing the first single titled “Born To Ride.”

Bottom Line: “Born To Ride” was written during Blu’s time in Nashville, working with producer Aaron Eshuis and hit songwriters like Josh Osborne, Rhett Atkins, and Ross Copperman. Recorded in OmniSound Studios, “Born To Ride” is rooted in an amplified mix of country twang with just the right amount of rock and roll attitude. “I wanted the album to sound the way we do live,” says Blu. “There’s more rock, more soul, and more volume this time around. It’s bigger and louder, but it’s still me. And more importantly, it’s still fun.” Blu’s distinctive voice takes us through the storyline with catchy guitar parts and a steady country-rock beat. The song evolves overtime with well-recorded instruments and song form. The guitar solo is melodic as it takes the song to the bridge and short break-down before the chorus. Blu has an identifiable modern country vocal sound and style, and we should keep and hear on him as his career continues to grow. That’s the short of it!