Ever a mercurial character, Doyle Bramhall has lent his fiery guitar work to artists as diverse as Roger Waters, Eric Clapton, Elton John and Gregg Allman. As a side man, he invariably stands out (just check out his blazing duet with Showy White on Comfortably Numb) but as a solo artist he excels – as evidenced on the Eric-Clapton-curated Crossroads live sets (a cursory Google search will locate a phenomenal Oh death, which features two drummers and some remarkable slide work). Despite his talents, Doyle has been far from prolific as a solo artist, leaving a fifteen year gap between 2001’s welcome and 2016’s rich man. Now, just two years later, Doyle is back with a brand new record (and a brand new label, in Provogue) entitled Shades. Gathering together a stellar cast (Eric Clapton, Norah Jones, Greyhounds & the Tedeschi Trucks band), Doyle offers up twelve tracks that draw upon his wide experience and, although his smoky voice and exquisite guitar work anchor the songs, there’s a diversity here that makes the album an absolute joy from start to finish.
Love and pain kicks off the album on a dark, slightly psychedelic note worthy of the Screaming Trees (with a touch of Rival Sons thrown in for good measure), Doyle’s scratchy, slightly distorted voice ringing out over nimble guitar work, only for the soulful backing vocals to add the light to Doyle’s shade. Tackling the knotty subject of gun violence, it’s an electrifying start and Doyle follows it up nicely with the taut hammer ring a track with a tough, Joe Bonamassa vibe (think John Henry) that is built around rolling percussion and which offers up a delightfully scuzzy solo in the latter half. Things quiet down considerably as Doyle brings Eric Clapton on board for the soulful everything you need, a number that simmers rather than cooks until the two guitarists go head to head in a phenomenal display of understated guitar mastery that perfectly caps off the track. The track fades to grey with the guitars still raging away and one can only wonder how long the “director’s cut” might have run without the judicious editing (there’s a great bonus piece for the deluxe edition!) Next up, Doyle deftly switches styles again for the elegant waltz of London to Tokyo, the track evoking the titular journey as Doyle expands upon his playing style, drawing the listener up into the mountains and out into an unfamiliar world. Another guest appears on searching for love in the form of Norah Jones, who lends her smoky vocals to a sweet, soulful duet that also offers up some of the album’s most sublime guitar work. In contrast, Live forever (feat. Greyhounds) opens with snippet of laughter before kicking into a live, raucous track that sounds like the MC5 covering Buffalo Springfield (read: awesome), the fuzzed guitars and powerful harmonies breaking over the listener like a wave.
Kicking off the second half of the album, the quiet, piano-led Break apart to mend draws on the likes of Procul Harum and Elton John, Doyle’s voice naked and vulnerable against a simple backdrop which, wisely, is kept understated throughout. By maintaining the song’s gentle power, rather than swamping the arrangement as so many artists tend to do, the bittersweet pay-off of the guitar solo at the end is all the more potent and the song is all the more moving. Next, Doyle allows a touch of psychedelia to creep into She’ll come around, a soulful track with a patchouli vibe and a sense of quiet longing. By the time we arrive at The night, however, psychedelia is in full evidence, the track coming across like a long-lost Beatles cut which segues perfectly into the dusty, Eastern-tinged Parvanah . An album highlight, Parvanah is a perfect exercise in tension and release, the rolling toms and spicy licks giving way to an explosive finale that feels gloriously improvisational in its approach. Borderline progressive in its expansive, string-laden finale, Parvanah exceeds its initial promise and offers tantalising live possibilities. Set against such a backdrop, the Beatles-y Consciousness is exactly the sort of svelte, melodic pop tune that is needed to offset such a dense piece. It leaves only Going Going Gone (feat. Tedeschi Trucks band) to bring the album to a soulful close as vocal harmonies stack up and slide guitar wends its languid way around the central melody. The perfect end to a pretty-much perfect album, Going going gone is a leisurely wave goodbye from Doyle and his band, but let’s hope it’s only for a short time.
Shades is one of those albums that takes the listener on a journey. With personal insight and social issues on the lyrical agenda, Doyle guides his listener out of America, across the world and back in just under an hour. With light and shade in plentiful supply, Doyle deftly utilises the talents of his guests to expand his sonic palette without overpowering it and the results are uniformly astounding. Highlights abound, but the two standout tracks (at least for me) are surely love and pain and Parvannah, two very different tracks that showcase a guitarist who has never stopped exploring and challenging his own boundaries. Lush, beautifully produced and full of surprises, Shades is a strong contender for album of the year and is essential listening. 10
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