Though The Blue Stones’ two-man formation and fondness for thick, fuzzy riffage may have initially aligned them with fellow power duos like The Black Keys and Royal Blood, this Windsor, Ontario tandem have always countered their bluesy brawn with a pop finesse. In singer/guitarist Tarek Jafar, The Blue Stones possess a smooth and soulful mouthpiece who ensures tunes like “Black Holes (Solid Ground)” and “Shakin’ Off the Rust” have the melodies to match the muscle. And on their 2021 album, Hidden Gems, they venture even further from the traditional hard-rock script, with Jafar unleashing his inner Drake on the atmospheric, after-hours R&B ballad “Careless.”