A number of years ago, guitarist Jonny Lang hit the scene and caught everyone’s attention because this young Christian kid was playing his Fender like he was raised in the Mississippi Delta and sang like he grew up in the Georgia cotton fields. Fast forward to this most current album, and Lang’s still got his faith, he writes most of the stuff, his voice has a bit of a Paul Rogers grit to it (nothing to complain about) and his music, while a bit more updated and sometimes urbanized, has lost none of its original vision.
He’s got a working team of Dwan Hill/key, Akil Thompson/g, James Anton/b, Barry Alexander/dr and Missi Hale/voc which mix straightahead barrel chested rock (“Blew Up The House”)with rock ballads (“We Are The Same”) with even some acoustic work deftly thrown in (“All of a Sudden”). Intriguing is Lang’s foray into the R&B field, with a hip hoppish “What You’re Looking For” and even a hint of Earth Wind and Fire pops up on “We Are The Same,” but it works through the puree of Lang’s earnest vocals and metallic axe. An adventurous journey is ensued on “Seasons” while all of the songs avoid the cliché’s of booze, broads and bucks and get down to important reflections on life from the viewpoint of a Pilgrim who’s only passing through this planet. Sophisticated stuff for a Strat man.
Concord Records
www.concordmusicgroup.com