Blog Post
KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD - DIRT ON MY DIAMONDS VOLUME ONE
Laura DQ • 12 November 2023
Album Review
I’m ashamed to admit that prior to writing this review, I’d never listened to Kenny Wayne Shepherd. His was a name I was aware of, a respected guitarist, someone whose work I suspected I’d enjoy but never got round to checking out. Having now taken some time with his latest album ‘Dirt On My Diamonds Vol. 1’, I can conclude the oft used description of Shepherd as simply a blues guitarist is somewhat underwhelming, for a man whose musical talents are anything but.
From the moment the title track bursts into life, warm with brass, this is a record that oozes sophisticated cool. Strutting with welcome self-assuredness, it’s good old rock and soul, albeit updated for a modern audience. If you’re expecting straightforward 12-bars, you won’t find them here. And if you associate the blues with sadness, prepare for a surprise; this is one of the more uplifting releases of 2023. Big choruses are abundant and hooks plentiful in these 35 minutes. Pleasing in its brevity, there’s an immediacy to these tracks that are never permitted to overstay their welcome.
Admittedly, ‘Ease My Mind’ closes the album with something resembling traditional blues, punctuated by Gary Moore style guitar interludes, but the curveballs along the way are plentiful. ‘Sweet and Low’ throws the first, sounding deliciously naughty, an unexpected hip-hop beat underpinning the hypnotic, cyclical riff. Listening feels almost intrusive, the aural equivalent of stumbling in on something you probably shouldn’t but being unable to look away. For me, it’s the strongest track, and though it’s dispensed early, the following ‘Best of Times’ swaggers with enough attitude to compete, Shepherd and co-vocalist Noah Hunt trading lines over a bass dominated groove.
The contrasting vocals are used to great effect throughout; Shepherd’s are a little higher, but with just the right amount of grit to light up the countrified ballad ‘You Can’t Love Me’. It’s a gentle rumination on a woman seemingly incapable of loving herself, and a wonderful example of Shepherd’s economy in his guitar playing, never overwhelming a track with unnecessary flash; he plays only what he needs to serve the song. Hunt’s voice is deeper, more soulful and perfectly suits the laid-back ‘Man on a Mission’. He’s also up front for a cover of Elton John’s ‘Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting’. It’s an interesting choice and played pretty straight, with very little deviation from the original (well… except that incredible guitar solo at the end). The familiarity is welcome but it’s the originals that really shine.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd might like a little dirt on his diamonds, but this album feels pretty well polished to perfection. A slice of feel-good American rock to warm the cold winter months, it’s available from the 17th November.