Considering 2017 included successes like opening for Eric Clapton, it’s safe to say Gary Clark Jr. is ready for a fruitful 2019. The guitar virtuoso is back this year with a brand new record, some of which he debuted on Saturday Night Live tonight. Beginning the evening with one of his new album’s early singles, “Pearl Cadillac,” Clark finished off the night with “This Land,” which is the title track from his latest project, out February 22 via Warner Bros. Records.
While “Pearl Cadillac” builds up to its fiery peaks, sticking with traditional verse/chorus structure to start off, “This Land” kicks off with some of Clark’s masterful guitar work, before spilling into staccato vocal delivery that’s more akin to rapping than singing; the song deals with issues of race and the video for the track includes allusions to lynching, while Clark plays his guitar from the second story balcony of a stoic old plantation house. For tonight’s performance, Clark obviously had to tone down the language a bit, but the roiling anger and rebellion at the core of the track remain. Watch it above.
Gary Clark Jr. is a Warner Bros Records/Warner Music Group artist. .
