Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band
Lay It On Down
Reviewed by: Lauren Rosier
As seen throughout the course of music history, artists always evolve. From the debut record to their 20th record, the music isn’t ever going to sound exactly the same, and that’s what blues rock icon, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, continues to do on the band’s latest release, Lay It On Down (Concord Music Group).
The record opens with the track, “Baby Got Gone”, a song that explores the nature of a relationship with a woman who’s always searching, “there’s something she’s chasing/ain’t gonna change it/that’s how it’s always been/ain’t no use in trying/that girl is flying/riding on a gypsy wheel”, for something more.
On “Diamonds & Gold”, Shepherd and company deliver a multi-layered track featuring a brass section, while Shepherd sings on “you can’t sell your soul/not for diamonds/diamonds and gold.”
Vocalist Noah Hunt returns on the track “Nothing But The Night” to create a track that blends blues with outright rock ‘n roll while featuring some sick guitar work and solos. The band switches gears on the tender title track about losing the will to carry on, “who broke your will now honey/who stole your dreams like money/who made you think you weren’t worth keeping around/I know you’re still worth saving”, and features some beautiful, crisp harmonies with clean, simple guitars.
On “Hard Lesson Learned”, Hunt sings about how emotions can supersede logic in relationships where the latter may be needed the most, “I can’t say no/I’ve got no choice/and I’m just a fool as far as you’re concerned/oh baby, you’re a hard lesson learned/and here I go again/going back where I’ve already been”.
With Lay It On Down, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and company continue to make their mark as a huge name in the blues rock sub-genre, while still being able to reinvent themselves with each new release.
Rating: Bad-Ass
