Rik Emmett & RESolution9 – ‘RES 9’ Album Review

Rik Emmett is one of those rare individuals who can be described as quietly famous. Despite the adulation of his peers as an outstanding guitarist, he has never courted celebrity, and his dedication to teamwork is demonstrated on ‘RES 9’, an album that is teeming with collaborations. With a core band featuring Dave Dunlop on guitar, Steve Skingley on bass and keyboards and Paul DeLong on drums, Rik has reached out to a wide array of artists, collaborating with his former bandmates from Triumph on ‘Grand parade’, bringing in Alex Lifeson (Rush) on ‘Human Race’ and Dream Theater vocalist James LaBrie on a pair of cuts. Where you might imagine these tracks to somehow dominate the album, they integrate beautifully with the material found across the disc and the result is an album that benefits from its guests without placing them on a pedestal. ‘Res 9’ is a loose, funky, rootsy album that draws on blues, rock and funk to deliver an energetic and life-affirming listen to which you’ll return time and again.  

The album gets off to a flying start with ‘Stand still’, a track with so much energy and joy that it’s impossible not to raise a smile as you find yourself instinctively tapping along. Rik Emmett’s voice has a rich, slightly worn feel to it that perfectly complements the blistering guitar work while RESolution9 offer up a thunderous backing over which Rik can really cut loose. Alex Lifeson appears on the shimmering, U2-esque ‘Human race’. A taut pop song with a strong sense of defiance, ‘Human Race’ is the sort of song that, in years gone by, would have smashed into the charts with a bullet. As it is, it’s a fine song with just a hint of drama, bringing the likes of Todd Rundgren to mind with its insistent melody and stunning drum work from Paul DeLong. Another guest appears on ‘I Sing’ in the form of James LaBrie who nails it perfectly. It’s an inspired pairing and Rik’s emotional guitar work perfectly complements the emotion that James brings to his performance. ‘My Cathedral’ dispenses with the guests and lightens the mood with Rik’s light, funky guitar lines underpinning a bluesy number that follows a similar theme to ‘I sing’ but absent the opulence of that number. The first side concludes with dark, atmospheric ‘the ghost of shadow town’, a track that features some of Rik’s most emotionally-charged guitar work. It’s one of those songs that just works its way steadily under the skin and Rik’s performance is nothing short of astonishing, his deft guitar work and powerful vocal giving the song a depth and resonance with which most artists can only hope to imbue their work.  

Following on from the epic ‘the ghost of shadow town’ is no easy task, and Rik takes a different route, lightening the mood and introducing the next song with a sweet, funky riff that helps the claustrophobic mood of its predecessor to slowly dissipate. Reminiscent of Robert Cray’s sweetly soulful blues, ‘when you were my baby’ is a lovely piece of music whilst ‘sweet tooth’ has the subtle country vibe you expect from Sonny Landreth. It’s a testament to Rik’s skill that he can roam so freely across the realms of blues and rock whilst still maintaining a coherent sound across the album, and the almost whimsical nature of ‘sweet tooth’ makes for a short, sweet song that only serves to emphasize the crackling energy of ‘heads up’. That loose vibe continues with the upbeat shuffle of ‘rest of my life’ but it’s the final two tracks that bring everything perfectly together. The album officially ends with ‘end of the line’, a track which features both Alex Lifeson and James LaBrie, the presence of whom lends even greater weight to the ecstatic riff that powers the song. This is Rik in full-on hard rock mode and with Paul’s crushing drums and Steve Skingley’s throbbing bass given unfettered licence to roam the track, the result brings Walter Trout’s heavy take on the blues to mind and it’s thrillingly potent.  Rather more relaxed, but no less exciting, is ‘Grand parade’ (bonus track) which sees Rik reunited with his Triumph band mates, Gil Moore and Mike Levine. The song has an air of gentle longing running through it which brings the album to a suitably emotional close.

‘RES 9’ is an album that cements the reputation of its creator. Varied but never disparate, the album roams at will through blues and rock and, at its heart, is Rik Emmett, whose deft touch never fails. The guest musicians are incorporated into his tapestry so that they share, rather than dominate, the spotlight and RESolution 9 are flawless players throughout. The twin highlights of the album are ‘The ghost of shadow town’ and ‘End of the line’, two tracks that demonstrate the immense power that Rik has at his command, but the whole album is a joy to listen to. ‘RES 9’ is one of those albums that serves as a testament to the collaborative spirit of music as an art form and comes highly recommended. 9