Review: "Resolution"

Lamb of God released their sixth studio album today. It’s called Resolution.

It’s melting my head with rock.

Lamb of God is a band that sort of fell by the wayside after their first few albums for the usual reasons: their sound changed and they became more mainstream. Their fan base changed, and their music changed along with it. Given that fact, one wouldn’t necessarily expect them to be putting out a really great album any time soon. But that’s exactly what they’ve done. I’m even going to go out on a limb here: Resolution is Lamb of God’s best album yet.

The album opens with a breath. A single inhalation packed with anticipation and energy, ready to be unleashed. Then you’re hit with huge blast of sound, a reminder to any who doubted that LOG can still pack a real punch. Through the first two songs, the sound is big, heavy, and utterly brutal. It’s LOG at their finest. Their tone is instantly recognizable; the tuning and EQing of the drums and guitars are, and have always been, one-of-a-kind. They sound just like they always have, but somehow better.

“Ghost Walking” is the third track on the album. It was also the album’s lead single. It kicks in with an adrenaline-inducing acoustic riff, which leads into an adrenaline-releasing electric riff. The album’s first (and one of it’s best) guitar solos hits partway through this track. And with that, the album has everything it needs to take over your speakers: loud instruments, brutal vocals, crushing drum beats, and epic guitar leads.

In most reviews, I talk about each track individually, and what each brings to the table. That is not a particularly useful tactic here because the album is not made to be a series of tracks. It’s made to be an album. (Really good) Gapless transitions make this obvious, but it’s true regardless. Thematically and sonically the album flows from beginning to end, and it’s clear that the band really worked to make a cohesive musical journey, and not a series of sing-along singles.

I will also usually allocate space in my reviews to addressing the lyrical themes explored in the vocals. Often this will be omitted in my metal reviews because, frankly, it’s impossible to understand what the vocalist is saying. This is not the case with Randy Blythe’s vocals. He’s always been one of my favorite metal vocalists, largely because his vocals are easy to decipher. But never fear, metalheads, the clarity is not for lack of brutality. The other reason I love Randy is that the intensity in his vocals is always jaw-dropping. It’s unlike any other band I’ve listened to yet. Now, to be totally honest, the lyrics are nothing special. The ideas are the same ones you always hear in metal songs. I’m not recommending Resolution because of it’s ground-breaking lyrical messages. I’m recommending it because it kicks ass. 

Start to finish, this album has my attention. It grabs you by the ears and shakes until you regret ever doubting the boys from Virginia. The album ends with another breath, an exhalation that makes the hour between it and the opening feel like a torrential scream. It’s come full circle. It’s a roiling, rocking, and terrifying melee of sound. The beast that is Lamb of God opened it’s mouth, and out came Resolution. Brace yourself.

Looking Ahead

I'm excited. 2012 is going to be a fun year for music. I've only spent a little time looking ahead, but so far here are some albums I'm stoked to hear in the first half of this year:

First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar
Lamb Of God - Resolution
Of Montreal - Paralytic Stalks
Paul McCartney - Kisses On The Bottom
Rodrigo Y Gabriela - Area 52
Rush - Clockwork Angels
The Shins - Port Of Morrow


I know that's not nearly everything, so let me know: which albums/artists should I be excited about? Leave a comment/message and let me know, I wanna hear as much good music as possible this year!

2011 Recap

Well, 2011 has officially ended. It was an interesting year for music, and it gave us a lot to consider. It always seems appropriate to take a look back on the best (and worst) of the year in music. That's why we have so many yearly award shows, most notably the Grammys. But, as you already know, I'm a little frustrated with those (that) show(s) at the moment. So here are my thoughts on the subject, sorted into eight simple categories. Please keep in mind that these lists represent my own opinions on the very limited amount of music I got to listen to this year. I haven't seen two top-ten lists that were even close to the same, and I don't expect to.

We'll start with the bad: Worst Album and Most Disappointing Album. These are the only two lists that will have less than five contestants. This is because I tried to only listen to albums that I thought would be good, so I didn't hear a lot that really disappointed me. But there were a few...

Worst Album

Runner-Up: Watch The Throne - Jay-Z & Kanye West

My full review of this album can be found here, and you can check that for all the detailed reasons that I didn't like this album. (TL;DR - Over-produced, one-dimensional lyrics, musically uninteresting and muddled.)

The Worst Album of 2011: Lulu - Lou Reed & Metallica

This was a cool idea, and I commend Lou Reed and Metallica for trying so sincerely to mesh artistically. But it just did not work. Lou Reed is a great poet and songwriter, but he simply isn't a great singer, and this is really not his element. I was glad to hear Metallica writing good heavy riffs, and I'm reassured that they'll be making more good stuff moving forward. This was just a bump in the road for both artists. Lou Reed isn't meant to sing Metallica songs, and Metallica is really not cut out for concept albums about German dancers. Lulu was a failed attempt at musical fusion.

Most Disappointing Album

Honorable Mention: Codes And Keys - Death Cab For Cutie

I was excited for this album, particularly after hearing the single "You Are A Tourist". But the album was all build and no reward. It never got interesting, and I was disappointed.

Runner-Up: Watch The Throne - Jay-Z & Kanye West

I had hopes that this album would be good (mostly because of the hype, but still). And it wasn't. That's about all.

Most Disappointing Album of 2011: Lulu - Lou Reed & Metallica

See above. It was such a neat idea and everyone involved was so excited, I really thought it would be great. And it just wasn't.


Okay, now for the fun categories. Stuff that doesn't necessarily affect the quality of the music, but still is worth noticing. I don't really have much to say about these lists, so here they are.

Best Album Cover Artwork

5. Camp - Childish Gambino
4. That Night A Forest Grew - The Odious
3. Dust Bowl - Joe Bonamassa
2. Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes

The best album cover artwork of 2011: Torches - Foster The People

Best Music Videos
5. "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall" - Coldplay (Mylo Xyloto)
4. "Bonfire" - Childish Gambino (Camp)
3. "Shake It Out" - Florence + The Machine (Ceremonials)
2. "Someone Like You" - Adele (21)

The best music video of 2011: "Marry The Night" - Lady Gaga (Born This Way)

Best Lyrics

5. "Library Pictures" - Arctic Monkeys (Suck It And See)

4. "Shake It Out" - Florence + The Machine (Ceremonials)
3. "So American" - Portugal. The Man (In The Mountain In The Cloud)
2. "Outside" - Childish Gambino (Camp)

The best lyrics of 2011: "Someone Like You" - Adele (21)

Alright, now let's get serious. Here are the big three categories. My favorites in production, songs, and albums from last year.

Best Production on an Album

5. We Are The Tide - Blind Pilot (Skyler Norwood)

I don't think many people appreciate how difficult it is to produce acoustic music. All tone and level control is done with microphone placement and post-recording processing. The production on We Are The Tide was great anyway, but with the added difficulty, this one was hard to leave off the list.

4. Torches - Foster The People (Paul Epworth, Greg Kurstin, Rich Costey, Tony Hoffer, Mark Foster)

Torches employs a plethora of sounds from a plethora of sources, and each is mixed into the songs to perfection. The writing is good, but the production is the reason this album was as good as it was.

3. Mylo Xyloto - Coldplay (Markus Dravs, Daniel Green, Rik Simpson, Brian Eno)

The production is great. There's really nothing else to say. One doesn't have to love Coldplay's music to appreciate the sonic qualities that are achieved here.

2. Ceremonials - Florence + The Machine (Paul Epworth, James Ford, Charlie Hugall, Ben Roulston, Isabella Summers, Eg White)

Again, nothing too hard to get here. The production is spectacular. Florence Welch and her gospel-style choruses sound as huge as they should. Great album.

The best production on an album in 2011: Bon Iver - Bon Iver (Justin Vernon)

I've never experienced sound like that on Bon Iver. It's a sonic adventure through ten places that paints a vivid picture of each. A whole lot of work went into this album. Like, way more than pretty much every other album this year. It paid off.

Best Songs

Honorable mention: "Perth" - Bon Iver (Bon Iver)

5. "Charlie Brown" - Coldplay (Mylo Xyloto)

I suppose this is as good a time as any to say that my position on Coldplay's album has shifted. I like it more than I previously did. It still is not the best album of the year, but "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall", "Paradise", and "Charlie Brown" are three great songs that deserve more credit than I previously gave them. "Charlie Brown" is now one of my favorites from the year.

4. "Shake It Out" - Florence + The Machine (Ceremonials)

One of my favorite songs from one of my favorite albums. It's big, it's strong, and it's inspiring. Florence Welch is a boss-lady.

3. "Lonely Boy" - The Black Keys (El Camino)

"Lonely Boy" is just a great song. It rocks. Great writing from Dan Auerbach (as per usual) and classic garage-style guitars and vocals. Plus, the music video is hilarious.

2. "Marry The Night" - Lady Gaga (Born This Way)

After hearing this song, if you don't believe Lady Gaga is a top-notch writer and singer, you are a crazy person. You don't have to love her music, but she's a talented artist with things to say. Start listening.

(Actually, start with this live, solo, acoustic performance.)

The best song of 2011: "Someone Like You" - Adele (21)

Go ahead and add this one to the list of songs that would make me cry if I had emotions. It shows Adele's amazing vocal talent better than almost anything else on the album because it's just her with the piano. Simple composition, powerful vocals, beautiful song. Best of the year.


And now, without further ado:

Best Albums

The order here was tough to finalize, and it changed several times in the last couple days. But here it is.

Honorable Mention: Mylo Xyloto - Coldplay

10. In The Mountain In The Cloud - Portugal. The Man

Portugal. The Man is only getting better. This album is really good. I got to see them live this year, and I saw how much energy they put into their music. These guys are great musicians that write smart songs, and In The Mountain In The Cloud shows it better than anything else they've released.

9. Bon Iver - Bon Iver

It's all in the production here. I mean, the songs are well-written and well-performed, but the production takes it to the next level. These songs are real works of art. Great album.

8. Dust Bowl - Joe Bonamassa

Okay, I'm going to level with you. The fact that Joe Bonamassa still hasn't ever been nominated for a Grammy was like half the reason I decided to make my own list. He is one of the best guitarists alive, and he deserves way more credit than he's given. You can check out my full review of Dust Bowl here for an explanation as to why it's in my top ten. But really you should just listen to it.

7. We Are The Tide - Blind Pilot

This was honestly my #1 album for about a month after it came out. It's amazing. Again, I have a full review here that will explain exactly why it's so good. And again, just listen to it.

6. El Camino - The Black Keys

This is the best album yet from The Black Keys. You don't have to listen for very long before you go "man, these guys rock." Seriously, if they don't win a bunch of Grammys for this next year, I will shoot someone. They create sounds that are clearly modern, but that evoke images of 1960s and '70s garage rock. Listen to this album.

5. Torches - Foster The People

Foster The People absolutely exploded this year. And deservedly so. Torches is fantastic. It doesn't have the flow and continuity of some albums, but every song is great. Really, there are no bad songs on this album. There's something about Mark Foster's falsetto that fits so well with the bouncy songs he writes, and they stick with you for days.

4. Born This Way - Lady Gaga

As I said before, Lady Gaga is a great singer and songwriter whether you like it or not. This album has good continuity and arrangement, and the songs are all excellent. It really shows how much maturity Lady Gaga has compared with her pop music peers. She writes real songs about real things that she really cares about. She cares about the music she publishes, and here it pays off big-time.

3. The King Is Dead - The Decemberists

Colin Meloy is amazing. That wasn't really a secret, but this album gave me a new understanding of just how amazing he is. I do suppose it's not fair to give him all the credit, because this is clearly a full-band effort. Every instrument and every voice has a role, and none is left unfilled. The King Is Dead does pretty much everything while staying comfortably within the comfort zone of all performers. That's a rare feat, and it shows the real talent that these musicians hold. And for what it's worth, I've listened to this album about three times per week for months and I'm still not tired of it.

(Bonus material: they released a follow-up EP in November that's also pretty good. Find it on iTunes or Spotify. It's called Long Live The King.)

2. Ceremonials - Florence + The Machine

Excellent writing? Check. Excellent production? Check. Excellent arrangement? Check. No aspect of this album is not excellent. Some will say that there's only one sound on the album and that it doesn't vary as much as it should. To these people I will say this: Florence Welch and everyone involved intended at the outset to make an album that included all the chamber pop of Lungs, but that centered around soul and occasionally gospel styles. They succeeded. The songs are soulful and emotional, deep and heavy, loud and strong. It's an auditory catharsis for both performer and listener. I didn't write a full review of this album on account of this excellent one beating me to it. It says all the right things. I did speak on it briefly in this video, so you can watch the first bit of that. Go read the review, and then go listen to this album.

The best album of 2011: 21 - Adele

Well, yeah. Was this even a question? Adele is fantastic, this album has more power than just about anything else in recent memory. Adele is redefining pop music for the better with her strong vocal-and-piano style. "Rolling In The Deep" became an instant hit, but don't think for a second that it's the only good song on the album. "Someone Like You" (as noted above), is one of the greatest songs I've heard in a really long time. "Rumour Has It"— actually on second thought, I'm not going to go through all the good songs because that's more or less all of them. This album is a real masterpiece, and there can be no doubt that it is the best of the year.


Phew. There it is. That's what I thought of 2011 in music. Again, I didn't get a chance to listen to a lot of great stuff, and so this review is far from definitive. But of what I did see and hear, these things were the best (or worst). Overall, it's been a fun year. I'm looking forward to hearing all the music in 2012. Thanks for reading. Don't forget to be awesome.

P.S. I think I will be making a video with an abbreviated version of this in the coming days. Watch for that.

GRAMMY Nominations Reaction

So the Grammy Nominations were this week.

I am not impressed.

I've decided that the Recording Academy is really no expert of any kind because if it was, it wouldn't have nominated about half of the things it did.

Okay, that's probably not fair. I actually can't speak with any authority on most of the categories. Really the only place I feel like my opinion has any weight to it is in the "Album Of The Year" category. So let's talk about that.

The nominees: "21" by Adele, "Loud" by Rihanna, "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga, "Wasting Light" by Foo Fighters, and "Doo-Wops & Hooligans" by Bruno Mars.

The way I see it, two of these deserve the nod: "21" and "Born This Way". "21" was musically and sonically amazing, and Adele puts more energy and soul into her songs than anybody else. "Born This Way" is a thematic and artistic masterpiece. I would have nominated these two albums, and I applaud the Academy for those picks.

But that's it. The rest of these have no business being anywhere near the podium. "Wasting Light" is good, not great. Very little diversity of sound and seemingly rote songwriting make it more a collection of decent songs than an album. "Loud" (aside from not being released this year, another gripe with the Grammys) had two hits and bunch of mediocre filler songs. Two hits does not a Grammy make. "Doo-Wops & Hooligans" (also from 2010) had one hit. None of these albums had any musical or thematic flow, and what sonic diversity there was was misplaced.

I've decided that instead of griping about the nominees that we do have, I'm going to talk about the nominees we should have had. Here are some albums/artists that I think deserve mention:

1) Foster The People. "Torches" might be the best album released this year. At least, it's in my top five. There are no bad songs. Period. Mark Foster is a songwriting genius. The entire album is produced beautifully. The album artwork is fantastic. The music blends pop and rock into a new* breed to alternative, a breed which will be growing in the future. The fact that "Torches" received one nomination and Kanye received seven is criminal, and it shows a fundamental immaturity amongst the Academy.

2) Blind Pilot. Okay, I didn't really think they'd get a Grammy nomination. But wouldn't it be nice? "We Are The Tide" is another great album from this year, and speaking musically I think it is the most impressive. It's relatively easy to layer electronic sounds over each other to make a pop song. It is comparatively difficult to to the same with acoustic (and at times archaic) instruments. Blind Pilot did it with near perfection this year, and I think they deserve big-stage credit.

3) Arctic Monkeys. Yeah, yeah, they aren't about to be big-time Grammy nominees either. But "Suck It And See" was a really good album from every angle. The lyrics were insightful and enjoyable, bordering on funny. The music was well-written, not too complicated but interesting. The sound was recognizable but mature. Arctic Monkeys are a great band that released their best album yet, an album that was easily better than half of the year's AOTY nominees.

4) Joe Bonamassa. I think my measuring stick for when the Grammys have their shit together will be when they nominate Joe Bonamassa. He is (in my somewhat knowledgeable opinion) one of the best guitarists alive today. He released his NINTH (he's 34, that's a lot) studio album "Dust Bowl" this year. He consistently sells out mid-sized venues around the world. His band (ahem... SUPERGROUP) Black Country Communion released it's second album this year as well, and he also released a collaboration with Beth Hart. Three albums in one year on top of a touring schedule. They guy is a machine, and I will not put any stock in the Grammys unless and until they give him a nod.

Okay... That's most of what I want to talk about. I do know for a fact that there are good albums that have been released or that are soon to be released that are not eligible for these Grammys. Which makes me a little mad. I understand that you need time to decide everything, but I still think it's stupid to disallow pretty much a quarter of the year's releases (the cutoff is September 30) from the year's awards. It's also stupid to allow albums from last year compete against albums from this year. "Loud" and "Doo-Wops & Hooligans" were from 2010. They shouldn't be invading the 2011 awards (or any awards, they are not good albums).

I think I'm going to do my own awards show at the end of the year. It will include albums from 2011. I will decide what categories to include, but I'm thinking there will just be a few (Best Album, Best Song, Best Album Art, Best Lyrics, etc.). I will also probably have "Worst Album" and "Most Disappointing Album" categories. I feel like that's an equally important aspect of music that the Grammys fail to recognize.

Alright, that's everything I have... sorry again for being such a fail with videos. Let me know if you have anything to say about/contribute to my thoughts and I'll be happy to try to work them into a future post/video.

If you are reading this sentence, you are a fantastic person and I love you.


*It's newish, not new. Phoenix and MGMT do the same thing.

December 2, 2011: Got Music? Important Update

Three things:

1) Dear God, it's December.
2) If you're interested, I'm going to be posting a few new acoustic cover songs to my YouTube channel in the near future, so you can go enjoy those. The first is up (Helena Beat by Foster The People)
3) My webcam is no longer communicating with the rest of my computer in a way that is conducive to video-making. And since I have to try every video a few times before it works (and it only does like half the time), I'm just going to call it: I'm done shooting videos for a few weeks. I'm planning to acquire a good camera in the coming weeks, and my hope is that I'll be able to shoot better video with less brain-ache. Until then, I don't really want to screw around with bad video, bad sound, and a slovenly computer.

My video today was a reaction to the Grammy nominations. I'll be making a blog post with a more organized textual version of that shortly, so look for it in a bit.

Thanks for being cool.

Review: "We Are The Tide"

Blind Pilot: a band that totally snuck up on me. A band that I had never given a lot of thought to until one of my friends played "One Red Thread" for me and asked me to sing it (if you dare brave the tempest...). Since that moment, I have given significantly more thought to the Portland group. I have also given them significantly more listening time. This is a decision that I am quite happy with, for Blind Pilot are truly masterful on their 2008 debut "3 Rounds And A Sound." At this time, Israel Nebeker and Ryan Dobrowski constituted the band in its entirety. The two-man acoustic arrangements were tasteful, simple, and honest, and the dynamic was truly ideal for their unique brand of indie-folk/rock.

With this in mind, I was understandably unsure of the chances of inter-album consistency when I heard that their new release We Are The Tide incorporated four additional musicians. Using touring musicians was one thing, but I felt that tripling the size of the band would result in something else altogether. Something less than ideal, I might add. 

Oh, how wrong I was.

The opening song on We Are The Tide, "Half Moon," crescendos into prevalence with a fullness that immediately informs the listener that Blind Pilot has evolved. But any worries of over-evolution are promptly put to rest. "Half Moon," like the entire "Tide" album, sounds exactly like, well, Blind Pilot. It’s just Blind Pilot with a fuller sound. A fuller, richer, more mature sound. It’s a sound that grows and evolves even within the confines of the lead-off track, and it comes to a climax at the chorus about a minute into the song. At this instant, there is nothing but passion, energy, and beauty in the world. 

And it does not relent. "Half Moon" is undoubtedly my favorite tune on the album, but don’t think for a second that there is a drop-off in quality. Each song carries the torch with dignity, and brings a unique but equally powerful theme and dynamic to the collection. After "Half Moon," the next two songs slow down slightly and fall a little closer to the original simple Blind Pilot sound. The title track, listed fourth out of ten brings back the fullness and energy the album began with, but from a slightly more upbeat direction. It is with this song that I am convinced that Blind Pilot can truly make a masterful album, one which includes ups and downs, rises and falls, agility and languor.

After this, the album definitely slows down a bit. If you read "slow" as "boring," please excuse yourself from the remainder of the discussion. "Just One" and the album’s final track, "New York" are two of the most moving songs I have heard this year. "Just One" has a folky-country twist, employing sweeping slide electric guitars behind the chugging  (slow) acoustic strums. But the flawless vocal harmonies steal the show for these four minutes. Pay attention here, because this, kids, is how you arrange a song. "New York" is the ideal culmination to this album. It takes all of the passion and energy, and wrings it out over a chamber of strings. This is, lyrically, the most powerful song of the bunch. A slow-moving, growing, dirge for a broken relationship/quest for personal growth? That’s heavy stuff. This song is like the sonic equivalent of a solitary butterfly breaking out of its cocoon after it’s friends had left it behind (whoo, I sure am good similes).

The album ended. I just restarted it and listened to it again. And then again a few hours later. I’ve probably heard it 4-5 times total by now, and it still isn’t old. These are real songs by real people playing real instruments with real meaning. That’s a sound for sore ears, if you will. 

I will leave the review with this: album titles are not always very clear and understandable, and they rarely reflect the musical qualities of the album. But Blind Pilot’s new album flows in currents, it rises and crashes, it opens and closes, and ultimately it pulls you away with it. The music has a vitality that transcends mechanical influence, and I am left without a shred of doubt as to the group’s self-description: they are the tide.

Review: "Dust Bowl"

When I tell people about Joe Bonamassa, I like to say he’s "the best guitarist you’ve never heard of." But recently I’ve begun to think that I might need to rework that introduction to "he’s the best guitarist I have ever heard period." Either introduction is likely to conjure up images of a seasoned pro in the minds of new listeners, so most are somewhat surprised when they discover a 34 year-old white guy behind the microphone. But don’t be fooled by his youth. Bonamassa had logged more miles on a guitar at 15 than most guitarists do by 50. Keep in mind that this is a kid who opened for B.B. King (more than once) when he was 12, and who recently formed super-group Black Country Communion with Glenn Hughes, Derek Sherinian, and Jason Bonham. Yes indeed, his 34 years have been prolific to say the least; his latest release, Dust Bowl, is his ninth solo studio album. And, where many artists will begin to fade, mellow out, or become redundant, Bonamassa has somehow one-upped himself again. Dust Bowl is, in my humble opinion, his finest effort.

The album opens with the chugging "Slow Train," a loud, powerful blues exclamation. The subject area is nothing new to the blues genre (nomadic symbolism, broken relationships, etc.), but the execution is refreshingly new. Bonamassa finds a way to make his song sound eerily like the metaphorical train he sings of with percussive riffs and driving rhythm. The second song is the title track to the album, and deservingly so. The multitude of stringed and percussive instruments introduced in the song provide a haunting backdrop for strong vocals and alternately eerie and fiery guitar riffs. I would say that it is unquestionably the strongest song on the album, but Bonamassa has a nasty habit of making every song count, and the remainder of the album stays impressively on-par.

On "Tennessee Plates," Bonamassa tips his hat to the big Nashville country sound, turning down the gain and up the twang. Well actually he keeps the gain up pretty high. He just adds some twang, and some John Hiatt. The result is a big, rolling song about a big, rolling Cadillac (with Tennessee plates!). Bonamassa makes every note count, right down to the end. But don’t turn down the volume just yet. In his cover of Bobby Troup’s "The Meaning of the Blues," Bonamassa takes all the Nashville energy and brings it, lumbering, into focus behind the loudest, bluesiest lens I’ve ever beheld. He simply wails on his guitar, tearing out gut-wrenching solos and leaving the audience sufficiently floored. In fact, it’s probably a good thing that the beginning of the next tune, "Black Lung Heartache" is toned down a bit, because otherwise the unprepared listener would not be able to handle the continuous influx of energy. Please note, however: "toned down" does not mean “less impressive." Bonamassa employs an orchestra of small stringed instruments, some of which I have never heard of, (all played by the man himself) to give a jangley, tumbleweedy quality to his composition. When he does turn the volume back up partway through, he is able to maintain the hollow tone he achieved in the beginning, and the song becomes raw emotion and energy for about two minutes.

"You Better Watch Yourself" is not, as an uptempo, bluesy, jam, particularly unique. It is, however, another opportunity for Bonamassa to showcase his mastery of the guitar and his trademark Gibson-driven tone. The diversity resumes in the following track, "The Last Matador of Bayonne." This is the slow song of the album. Primarily soft guitar, brushed drums, and a trumpet wailing in the background, the song finds Bonamassa contemplating history and solitude in (presumably) the French town of Bayonne. The middle third of the song is the heart of the composition, and possibly of the album itself. Bonamassa unveils some of the most soulful, incendiary, heart-wrenching guitar playing I have ever heard in middle of this song, before sinking back into the shadows, leaving as quietly as he arrived.

Black Country Communion (BCC) bandmate Glenn Hughes appears on the cover of Paul Rodgers’ "Heartbreaker." If you were curious about what BCC sounds like, this song will give you a pretty good taste. Big, loud, classic rock with strong vocals and stronger guitar playing. Nothing too complicated here, folks, just some rockstars doing their thing. Another cover (this time of Michael Kamen and Tim Curry) follows in "No Love on the Street." The sound is not remarkably new, as both sonic and thematic parallels can easily be drawn between this and "The Meaning of the Blues." But at this point, any excuse to hear Bonamassa shred his way through a big, sexy blues song is fine with me, so I could not care less about the slight redundancy.

While we’re talking about redundancy, I suppose we’ll just carry on thorugh the next two tracks. Bonamassa’s own "The Whale that Swallowed Jonah" and Vince Gill’s "Sweet Rowena" (to which Vince Gill contributes his voice) are both uptempo country-based songs (the latter markedly more country-sounding than the former, but both retaining noticeable twang). While never totally repetitive, the songs don’t do much that hasn’t been done already on the album. But keep in mind that at this point on the album, Bonamassa has covered essentially all the bases, and redundancy is nearly inevitable. I choose to forgive the double-up because the songs remain strong and tasteful, and Bonamassa’s soft voice and hard guitar playing are as pleasant as ever.

The album ends on the highest of high notes (metaphorically speaking, here). Karen Lawrence’s "Prisoner" gives Bonamassa the opportunity to hit the area he hasn’t yet on this album. In fact, I don’t know that he’s sung/played like this before at all. I suppose it never hurts to begin with an already emotionally charged song, but Bonamassa takes that emotion and passion to levels that I previously didn’t know could be achieved musically. His voice is a perfect match for the song’s love-struck lyrics, and his final guitar solo on the album is one of his strongest. I honestly don’t know that he can hit a wrong note (at least while the monitors are on). 

As the final note rings into silence, the listener is left to reflect on an album that truly has everything. Loud vocals, scorching guitars, emotional choruses, guest stars, cool artwork, and a barrel of different sounds and styles tastefully and artfully woven together. Dust Bowl is a true masterpiece, and it is absolutely Bonamassa’s best album. At least, until the next one comes out.