Music review: Jonny Lang – ‘Signs’
All signs indicate that Jonny Lang has another great album on his hands.
I simply loved 2013ĢƵ “Fight for My Soul” with its electrical-charged arrangements possessing shades of funk, blues, gospel and contemporary R&B. While “Fight for My Soul” featured an engaging cross between John Legend and Prince, Lang gains inspiration for his new material from old-school blues influences like Howlin’ Wolf and Robert Johnson and at the same time still manages to infuse hints of PrinceĢƵ alluring falsetto.
“Signs” demonstrates the 36-year-oldĢƵ maturity since his platinum-selling second album “Lie to Me,” released when he was just 15. For his latest effort, Lang said he wanted to return to more of a guitar-driven sound with vintage blues aspects. Mission accomplished.
The album surprisingly opens with “Make It Move,” a soul-bearing number that draws you in with a primal vibe of spontaneity and the message of going out and moving mountains, instead of waiting passively for good fortune and opportunities to find you.
“Snakes” follows with a heavy dose of guitar and plenty of attitude as Lang warns about being on guard for those evils and distractions that hide in the deeper grass for the opportunity to knock you off the chosen path.
“Last Man Standing” is a straightforward rock anthem that carries strong hints of the Foo Fighters, demonstrating that Lang can certainly cut loose with the best of rockĢƵ guitarists at any given moment.
Lang throws two smooth-flowing tracks into the mix with the love song “Stronger Together” and the tender yearnings to return from the road to the things that are truly treasured on “Bring Me Back Home.”
Lang reacts to the craziness displayed in todayĢƵ world on the rousing “Bitter End” and the smoldering title track. The former number focuses on manĢƵ knack for not learning from past mistakes and repeating them again and again, whereas the latter track reminds us that we can’t ignore the signs that something isn’t right.
The hymn-like presence of the beautiful and haunting “Singing Songs” gently closes the set with added strings that create a heavenly feel of hope, perseverance and triumph.
With a four-year gap between albums, “Signs” is LangĢƵ most diverse offering and perhaps his best performance yet.
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Clint Rhodes is the ĢƵ music reviewer. He can be reached at clinton43@me.com.