"The superb 'Blues Shock' is Branch's first recording as a bandleader in well over a decade ... This new album does resonate with all the exuberance of a project that has been a long time coming ... Although heavily influenced by the work of Chicago players such as Big Walter Horton and Cotton. Branch's playing has always been cleaner in tone, with a distinctive echo produced by a digital delay pedal. It's a sound that is immediately recognizable, something few harp players can claim these days".