Houston-based guitarist Clay Melton leads a power trio that specializes in high-octane jams, but he doesn’t limit his musical palette to heavy blues-rock. His debut album, Burn the Ships, shows he can cut his jams with a pop sensibility and soul, and that he balances his six-string heroics with melodic songcraft. Inspired by Jimi Hendrix, Melton began playing guitar at the age of 11, and within two years he was playing professionally. His reputation continued to grow over the next few years, and in 2016 he released an EP billed to the Clayton Melton Band. Later that year, he dropped the group designation and recorded Burn the Ships at Sugar Hill Recording Studio. The album was released in 2017.