Myles Kennedy’s second solo record will see the light of day on March 9th via Napalm Records. So, what happened to his first effort? He threw it out! Yes, you read that correctly; after seven years of working on it, he felt “its shelf life had expired.” The voice of international acts Alter Bridge and Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators scraped it. Take two!
Starting over, Myles found himself writing like crazy, going in an entirely different direction. Coming from those writing sessions was a personal story untold up until now and Year of the Tiger was born.
The album centers mostly around the loss of his dad at age four. Something he attributes to his religious beliefs as a Christian Scientist. As Kennedy puts it, “by all accounts, my father was a good, honest man, but I still can’t understand his decision to die from something that didn’t need to happen.”
Now for those fans of Myles Kennedy’s work with Alter Bridge and Slash, be prepared as this is a huge departure from those bands. Working with Alter Bridge producer Michael “Elvis” Baskette, Myles covers most of the musical pieces with only Zia Uddin (from Myles previous band Mayfield Four) on drums and Tim Tournier contributing on bass. With the influence of Mississippi John Hurt, Chris Whitley, Paul Simon and the acoustic tracks on Led Zeppelin 2, Year of the Tiger shows a different side of Kennedy with a bluesy almost country vibe to it.
The opening track, “Year Of The Tiger,” is one of the most powerful on the album. With a faster paced acoustic it’s an enthusiastic number with an upbeat tone. It’s one of those songs that has a great catchy hook to the chorus that will play on repeat in your head all day. Great way to open the record. One thing Kennedy was determined to do was explore a new range of vocals and after listening to Year of the Tiger it’s apparent he accomplished that goal.
“Nothing But A Name” and “Great Beyond” are two tracks that really stuck out for me as they may be the closest comparison to Kennedy’s other work. Especially “Great Beyond” with its shrilling guitar behind it, it’s different than anything else on the record. Both very powerful tracks.
For me “Love Can Only Heal” seems to have the most Zeppelin influence behind it. Listening to it reminds me a bit of “Going To California.” Along those same lines, but with more of a folky feel to it, is “Turning Stones.”
Throughout the album you can feel the presence, of what seems to me, is a modern country influence. “Ghost of Shangri La” and “Songbird” feel like singles you could potential find on one of today’s top country star albums.
The album is pure Myles Kennedy, stripped down and personal. For the true music aficionado’s out there this is a must have as well as for the diehard Myles Kennedy fans. For those expecting the powerful arena rock you get from Alter Bridge and Slash, this is not the album for you. Besides that wouldn’t make any sense, there would be no reason to reproduce what already is. Year Of The Tiger is reminiscent of something that would be featured on VH1’s Storytellers. This album showcases the amazing talent Myles Kennedy truly is.
Pre-order a copy now at https://MylesKennedy.com or pick it up upon its release on March 9th. And for an intimate evening with Myles Kennedy where he will be playing songs spanning his entire career be sure to check out the website as shows are selling out quickly.
Tracklisting:
- Year Of The Tiger
- The Great Beyond
- Blind Faith
- Devil On The Wall
- Ghost of Shangri La
- Turning Stones
- Haunted By Design
- Mother
- Nothing But A Name
- Love Can Only Heal
- Songbird
- One Fine Day
