Veteran Australian Guitarist and Singer-Songwriter Christina Crofts delivers a confident reminder of her legacy with the compilation album “Best of Bottleneck.” Spanning 12 singles, this is a tight, well-sequenced compilation that highlights Christina Crofts’ strongest slide-guitar moments from across her catalogue.
The project pulls together Christina’s live staples and favorites from earlier releases, but with a common theme this time. The curatorial idea of giving her bottleneck playing the center stage is precisely the album’s selling point. This is not a concept album, but rather a nonstop ride of electric entertainment from start to finish.
The album starts with one of Christina’s coolest originals, “Voodoo Queen,” which is based on the legend of Julie Brown, a woman from Manchac Swamp Louisiana who reportedly cursed her entire town upon her death. This raucous and heavy track is a perfect opener, as it immediately hooks you with its energy and bold slide phrasing.
The immediate follow-up is “Breakaway,” one of the record’s best-known cuts. Featured on her 2016 EP, this single debuted at #1 on the Amrap AirIt regional charts. With less chaotic vocals and strong guitar solos, this single is ideal to showcase Christina’s versatility and bottleneck prowess.
The closing track, “Escape to Blue,” stays true to the album’s theme as this is a track where the guitar dominates the soundscape. On the one hand it’s a brave choice, because newer listeners might not take well to pure instrumental performances, but Christina is committed to her craft, and makes a tasteful pick for the album’s closer.
What stands out on this album is the tone of its production. Christina prefers a gritty, weathered bottleneck sound rather than sterile precision. The slides are voiced with plenty of sustain and sit on top of the band without sounding harsh. The performances felt live and immediate, almost replicating the energy of her shows.
Best Of Bottleneck succeeds at its aim, presenting Christina Crofts as a world-class slide guitarist. The production and track selection make it a great starting point for newer listeners, and for old fans, it’s a nice remaster that gathers favorites in one place.