The Bright Lights

　　Austin-based bluesman Gary Clark Jr. has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. The guitarist has been anointed with the label of the leader of the local scene, offering a style that has at times been compared to Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Those two dudes aren’t exactly slouches. Next week, Clark Jr. is showcasing that immeasurable talent on his major label debut The Bright Lights EP for Warner Brothers Records, which will give a taste of what’s to come before his full-length drops in 2012. Not surprisingly, the EP features Clark Jr.’s handy work on the axe. There are four songs, two of which are live. On the studio tracks, Clark Jr. is more contained, focusing more on song structure and fine-tuning his sound, whereas on the live tracks, the sound is full, confident (sounding like John Mayer due to the slow precision) and makes you believe that the type surrounding him is for real. The Bright Lights EP starts off with the title track, which has a turn of reverb and oozes heavy blues. Clark Jr. sounds like a classic bluesman, channeling his inner B.B. King /Eric Clapton/Muddy Waters. His voice is big and confident and unlike any other newcomer in his genre. Wailing guitars are the highlight and show that the man can play.