An unabashed soul-blues revivalist in the vein of Eli "Paperboy" Reed, Eddie 9V specializes in conjuring the sounds of the 1960s: he punctuates his testifying with stabs of horns and lets electric piano lay down the groove, tying everything together with the steely sting of a Fender Esquire. All these traits were evident on Little Black Flies, his 2021 debut for Ruf Records, and came into sharper relief on its 2023 successor, Capricorn.
A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Eddie 9V -- born Brooks Mason in 1996 -- started playing local blues clubs when he was just 15 years old. Drawn...