Wednesday, March 18, 2015

ROBBEN FORD: "Into The Sun"

Rating: RRR
Label: Provogue/Mascot 2015
Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

The absolutely best thing about "Into The Sun"? The stunning guitar work and the excellent production. The not always so great thing? Well. I'm not too keen on some of these tracks as they are way more laid back than usual and without the blistering solos of the past. On the other hand something like, "Breath Of Me", featuring the up and coming vocalist ZZ Ward is plain and simple Soul at its very best. Very low-key, sophisticated and delicious vocal work by the young American woman as she sounds like the mature southern lady?

"High Heels and Throwing Things", the lovely mix of blues and funk with Ford and Warren Haynes (Allman Brothers, Gov't Mule) trading licks and tricks all over the place. It's just a very mature sounding record. It's got a little bit of everything really with the blues, the soul, the Americana, the pop and the rock, going on in that old fashioned style and mood. There are a lot of different rhythms and colors and the overall sound dates back to the sixties and seventies groove.

When Ford get it absolutely right, the melodies reek of classic R&B with a fantastic sound and tortured lyric slash nearly poems. Guest musicians apart from the two above mentioned ones include slide guitarist Sonny Landreth, Robert Randolph, Tyler Byrant and the all-time legend of Keb Mó. Into The Sun - close but no cigar. Solid as a rock though.
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