Let's Roll

Blues · 2003 · 12 tracks

Let's Roll

Gritty, late-career blues-rock defined by a voice like weathered leather. Etta James commands every groove with defiant, soulful authority.

2003 · Private Music

Let's Roll is a masterclass in late-career vitality, trading the smooth velvet of Etta James's youth for a voice that sounds like it has been tempered in fire and soaked in bourbon. This is not a collection of polite standards; it is a hard-charging blues-rock record that leans into the grit of the early 2000s production while maintaining the soul of the Delta. The instrumentation is muscular, featuring thick basslines and distorted guitar riffs that provide a sturdy platform for Etta's increasingly gravelly, yet incredibly precise, vocal delivery. It feels like a victory lap taken at full speed.

Tracklist · 12 Tracks

01

Somebody to Love

5:48

02

The Blues Is My Business

3:33

03

Leap of Faith

4:00

04

Strongest Weakness

4:54

05

Wayward Saints of Memphis

5:42

06

Lie No Better

3:32

07

Trust Yourself

4:46

08

A Change Is Gonna Do Me Good

5:24

09

Old Weakness

3:12

10

Stacked Deck

8:02

11

On the 7th Day

5:01

12

Please, No More

4:41

Moments Worth Listening For

the explosive opening of Somebody to Love where Etta's roar cuts through the thick guitar riff

the slow-burn intensity of The Blues is My Business where the organ swells behind her most weathered notes

the rhythmic pocket of Lie No Better where her phrasing dances around a tight, funky bassline

Reviews

AllMusic

Where This Album Departs

How does Let's Roll sound next to the rest of Etta James's catalogue?

Hand Played+2.2σ

The production is built around hand played than this artist usually allows.

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