Upside Down (Ruf Records) is Aynsley Lister’s first release since his collaboration with Ian Parker and Erja Lyytinen, Pilgrimage: Mississippi to Memphis. It’s his fourth studio release and the first to contain all original compositions. Lister grew up listening to his father’s record collection, comprised of mostly blues and soul music and learned to play guitar from listening to 45s (remember those) of Freddie King, Eric Clapton, and John Mayall, and was leading his first band in his late teens. His music can best be described as blues/rock-driven guitar, soul-influenced vocals, and amazingly catchy lyrics and hooks that would be a good fit on any rock or pop radio station. In other words, something to appeal to most discerning music fans today.

From the opening cut, the churning rocker, “Find My Way Home,” Upside Down is loaded with memorable tracks. Lister smolders on guitar with one distinctive solo after another. “Getaway” is somewhat more sedate, but not by much. “Ice I’m Upon” is another standout, possibly a hit single in a perfect world, with its pop sensibilities and a killer vocal by Lister.

“Beautiful” is just that, a sweet tribute to Lister’s daughter. “With Me Tonight” is a tough Texas shuffle and one of the more straight blues tracks present. The slide-driven “In The Morning” is a powerful tune with deep roots in southern rock, and kicks off a remarkably intense set of songs that concludes the disc, including the wild and wooly title track, “Disorderly Me,” a roof-rattler of its own, and the breathless closer, “Falling Down.”

Amazingly, this is all done by a three-piece band, with Lister’s magnificent guitar, Jo Nichols on bass, and Alex Thomas on drums (with backing vocals by Sue Quin).

This is without a doubt Aynsley Lister’s best release to date. How he hasn’t become a bigger deal here in the U.S. is a mystery. Hopefully, Upside Down will be the disc that puts him over the top. It’s definitely one of the best blues-rock efforts so far this year with memorable tunes, great performances, and some monster guitar. By all means, don’t let this one pass you by.