Album of the Year!
5
By GHCP
From the opening salvo of bombastic bass & drums to the very last acoustic chords and vocal gymnastics, RESONATE, delivers on all fronts, ticking every box GLENN HUGHES fans need after an 8 year absence from a solo recording!
Whether you're a fan of the funk GLENN HUGHES or the rock GLENN HUGHES, you're gonna be more than satisfied with an album that has been way too long in it's arrival.
"Heavy" is the album opener which kicks things off in style with Glenn's pounding bass and Søren's maniacal guitar crushing chords. While the guest drummer, Chad Smith, pounds so hard it leaves you gobsmacked!
The production throughout from Glenn and Søren is a masterclass on how it should be done, with the highs in all the right places, from vocals, bass, guitar, keys… the wall of sound created is in a word, perfection! No need to say more!!
Glenn's decision to bring his live solo band members into the studio, along with relative new comer, but in the big scheme of things, a long time GH family tree member, Lachy Doley on keys, was a stroke of genius.
All the musicians involved in this recording, elevate Glenn's vocal prowess and more so this time around, his bass playing. Wonderful stuff! Pontus's drums are as hard hitting as you hear them when he plays live with Glenn and Søren's guitar work is punchy with guitar hero worthy riffs when needed and on such songs as "Landmines", demonstrates his mastery of technique.
The pounding hard rockin' groove and swagger of the songs premiered prior to the album release are just a sweet taster for what is to come and so for me the stand out favorites begin from mid-way through the album, only exception being, the exceptional heavy hitting, "Flow". Joined by "Steady", "God of Money", "How Long", "When I Fall", "Landmines", "Stumble & Go" and "Long Time Gone", these are the real aces in the pack for me!
I don't think I've ever heard Glenn's bass playing so clear, loud and pulsating on a studio recording before. And hearing Søren and Pontus perform new material is so refreshing, and having them spin their own take on things, will only elevate their live performance once these songs hit the stage. As for Lachy Doley, well he is a must-have keeper for the solo band, as his keyboard solo wizardry brings light and shade to songs such as the masterpiece, "When I Fall" and then on the flip side, the heart pumping notes of album closer, "Long Time Gone".
The aptly titled RESONATE, is one of the best, if not the finest, solo album Glenn has ever written; lyrically, musically, production, all are perfection. While it might well be the most heavy sounding solo album, it still retains his trademark, allowing his musical diversity to shine through. With a cohesion and flow that will stand the test of time, it promises to be a contender for 'Album of the Year' in some quarters.
