Rock/Blues - To say that Isle of Man guitarist extraordinaire Davy Knowles has fronted one of the best blues/rock power trios of recent memory doesn't exactly relay the significance of this young frontman's knockout claim to rising fame. Sure there have been great trios in the past - Eric Clapton and Cream, Rory Gallagher and Taste, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - but the genre isn't exactly awash with new faces ready to mix up lead guitar pyrotechnics and rough n' ready blues based songs. So let's expand and say that Knowles - now going solo under his own name - is one of the most gifted recent guitarists out there, a 21-year-old prodigy who got the bug after hearing Dire Strait's "Sultans of Swing" at 11 and who has already drawn exuberant praise from critics and more seasoned players (Jeff Beck, Peter Frampton) alike.

New album Coming Up For Air, surfacing June 16, is a more polished extension of Knowles' Back Door Slam '07 debut Roll Away. Produced by Peter Frampton (who also co-wrote two songs), the new project is an accomplished and varied collection of timeless classic rock and universal blues power. Switching off between stinging, remarkably fluid electric and rootsy acoustic leads, Knowles brings jaw-dropping technique but he also delves into the songwriting craft with confidence and maturity. Tracks such as the blistering "Riverbed" (see video after the jump), twangin' acoustic "Savin' Myself" and Bad Company-styled title track highlight an album that may do for young "Guitar Hero" shredders what "Sultans" did for Knowles. "You should play music because you love doing it," he says, "If you can hang in for the long haul, you're doing what most people can't, and you're incredibly lucky."

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Davy Knowles - "Riverbed" (Acoustic)