I’ve been proclaiming for years that Chris Cain in one of my favorite blues cats, dating back to Late Night City Blues, from the late 1980s. That great set of music has long occupied a spot on my fictional 'desert island list.'

It's now time to add Cain's latest, Good Intentions Gone Bad (Alligator Records) to that list. It's that good. Perhaps it was going to Kid Andersen's Greaseland facility in San Jose that pushed this one to the top, or maybe it's Cain just continuing to nicely age into the role of a senior bluesman who's a triple threat of creative songwriter, excellent guitarist, and rich, deep vocalist.

Many of the Greaseland regulars were assembled to back Cain on Good Intentions Gone Bad, with Andersen especially adding his multi-instrumental talents where needed. There's too many players to mention every name, so be sure to buy the actual album so that you get the liner notes.

Cain has always been at his best when singing about relationship issues, and he's penned a new crop of songs on which he can lament about his woman problems, making us feel his pain and frustration. We hear that right away on the opening cut, the up-tempo shuffle "Too Little Too Late," but this time Cain is telling that woman who caused him such heartache in the past to just stay away. He shows his agony with strong vocals on "Fear Is My New Roommate," as he laments the life that has gone awry. When his voice isn't belting out his sadness and anxiety, Cain's guitar licks take over.

I've always liked when Cain has included piano accompaniment in his songs, and we get strong keyboard work from Greg Rahn on the mid-tempo "Good Intentions," a song with a strong New Orleans vibe as our star sings about all of they ways that he tried hard but didn't meet his woman's expectations. Tasteful piano playing provides the intro to the slow blues "Waiting For The Sun To Rise," but this time it's Cain tickling the ivories. Rahn's organ playing and Andersen's Melletron strings add to the mournful feeling, while Cain throws down a killer guitar solo.

Cain admits to the shortcomings in his relationship on the up-tempo funky blues "I Was Wrong," highlighted by the horn section of Mike Rinta, Mike Peloquin, and Mike Galisatus (was it intentional to hire three horn players with the same first name?), with the rhythmic drumming of Sky Garcia driving the song along at a rapid pace. On "Time To Cry," Cain lists all of the activities that he doesn't have time to do, but finally admits that he can always find the time to cry. Plenty of wonderfully mournful guitar solos here.

On the up-tempo blues shuffle, "Still Drinking Straight Tequila," Cain sings about all of the changes he's made in his life for the better, but declares that he can't give up tequila and the occasional beer. June Core, always one of my favorite west coast drummers, drives the band with a study beat. The pace slows considerably on "Bad Dream," with the agony in Cain's voice coming out loud and clear, and his guitar produces a richer tone here.

If you've listened to as much Chris Cain as I have, you will immediately recognize the familiar sound on the up-tempo blues shuffle "Had About All I Can Take," with Garcia keeping the rhythm on drums and the three Mikes putting out the big horn sound. For a real change of pace, the slow Latin-ish ballad, "Blues For My Dad," has Cain paying tribute to his father and telling the story about when dad gave him his first guitar. He'll tug your heart strings when he sings the line with the advice he received, "...you can play it when you're feeling happy, you can play it when you're feeling sad, always remember to play a little blues for your dad ..." Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.

Cain is going to make himself feel better on the happy number, "TGIF," and we'll all feel a little better by listening to it. Lisa Andersen joins in on vocals. On the slow blues, "Never Let You Break My Heart," Cain gets a little defiant about the breakup of a relationship, knowing that the woman always had one foot out the door from the start.

Good Intentions Gone Bad ends on a positive note, the up-tempo soulful number "Thankful" showing that Cain can sing about more than bad relationships. The horns are back and Cain is projecting his good vibes through his guitar. Tommy Castro joins in a second vocal, emphasizing that we can all share in his happiness.

I now have a new candidate for the 2024 album of the year, and it's Good Intentions Gone Bad. Cain and all of his associates have created a winner.

--- Bill Mitchell