Quinn Sullivan at the Spire Center (Plymouth)

Twenty four-year-old Quinn Sullivan came to prominence as a young guitar virtuoso who, after a chance encounter with Buddy Guy at the age of 8, would go on to become a buzzed-about blues phenom. When it came time to write and record his fifth album, Salvation, the singer-songwriter-guitarist was processing the sudden passing of his mother. The resulting 11-track album is his most personal. Salvation honors Quinn’s musical roots while forging his path forward as an emotive and engaging singer-songwriter
Salvation bursts open with a burly Jimi Hendrix-style groove on the title track. Here, Quinn manages to seamlessly alchemize his blues-rock roots while showcasing infectious songwriting chops. The song deftly incorporates the swirling tones of a B3 organ, the expressive cries of a wah-wah pedal, and fleet-fingered blues soloing without overwhelming its modern rock sensibility. The impassioned “Salvation (Make Me Wanna Pray)” delivers a clever twist on the journey of personal awakening against the backdrop of romantic infatuation.
Salvation is an artistic milestone that has been part of a larger journey in artistic autonomy and reclamation. “This record taught me not to be afraid to be who I am,” Quinn says. “My mother’s strength seeped through me, and gave me the confidence to sit down and make the best record I could make.”