When an artist like David Starr sets out to make his version of a blues record, you don’t expect him to follow a template, you expect him to build something that carries his fingerprints in the grain. With ‘Must Be Blue’, Starr doesn’t just pay homage to the genre that first lit his fire, reshaping it through a lens of weathered storytelling, sharp musicianship, and a deep reverence for melody.
This album feels like a hand-scrawled letter from someone who’s made peace with the ache. From the first track, you can feel the tug-of-war between grit and grace, with Starr’s voice riding just above the mix like it’s been through some things but still knows how to bend and not break. The lead track ‘My Favorite Color’ is a standout moment; part confession, part slow-dance in a lonely room. It unfolds with a quiet tension that’s all too human: longing without desperation, heartbreak without collapse.
Starr surrounds himself with heavy-hitter collaborators, but the magic here is in the restraint. Nothing is overcooked. Each element, from the smouldering guitar leads to the shimmering mandolin phrases, feels like it’s exactly where it needs to be. The arrangements breathe, allowing the stories to take centre stage. And that’s really what ‘Must Be Blue’ is, a record of personal and tender stories from the road.
There’s something distinctive about this record, with worn edges that don’t come from studio tricks, but from years of playing to rooms of every size. Starr’s ability to pull from both classic blues roots and the folk-rich traditions of the American West makes this project feel wide open. His blend of acoustic textures and electric fire- what he calls “Bluesicana”- works because it’s not a gimmick. It’s who he is.
This is an album you put on during a long drive, or late at night when the lights are low and the past feels just close enough to touch. With a voice that holds the weight of years without ever growing weary, Starr guides you through every track with the confidence of someone who’s been on both sides of heartbreak and still finds beauty in the mess.
If ‘Must Be Blue’ is Starr’s way of coming full circle, then we’re lucky to be riding shotgun.
