Jonny Lang - 'Signs' Album Review

Tracklist:

1. Make It Move 2. Snakes 3. Last Man Standing 4. Signs 5. What You're Made Of 6. Bitter End 7. Stronger Together 8. Into The Light 9. Bring Me Back Home 10. Wisdom 11. Singing Songs

Like fellow guitar slinger Kenny Wayne Shepherd, young Jonny Lang seems to of been around for ever starting with a platinum-selling debut at just 15, and he is now only 36, but a 'veteran' of a string of fine releases. The brand new “Signs” mixes his acclaimed guitar prowess and gritty vocals on an 11-track release which dips into Rock, Funk, Soul and Blues flavours.

“Signs” starts in fine style with Lang's scratchy acoustic guitar and falsetto vocal on the stomping “Make It Move”, before the band kick in; “Snakes” opens with a grungy electric guitar riff and picks up pace along the way. To complete a rousing opening trio of tracks the rocking “Last Man Standing” fairly thunders along, with some incisive guitar and Lang's 'weathered' vocals.

The lengthy title cut “Signs” is a rolling Blues, yet with a soulful groove and it is a definite highlight here. The funky “What You're Made Of” is a treat to with shades of the legendary Stevie Wonder in the song; the soul content again present in the excellent “Stronger Together”

Elsewhere, Lang's funky guitar kicks off the strutting “Into The Light” before the pace is taken down again on the sparse “Bring Me Back Home” - a gorgeous ballad with a very much 'from the heart' vocal. “Signs” ends on an acoustic note with the gentle – but powerful - string-laden “Singing Songs” . . . a fine ending to a most enjoyable release.

Those who embraced the young Jonny Lang for his early Blues releases may be a little surprised by the recordings the young man makes now, but, his first album in four years, is highly recommended for investigation!