Track listing
1. Year Of The Tiger
2. The Great Beyond
3. Blind Faith
4. Devil On The Wall
5. Ghost Of Shangri La
6. Turning Stones
7. Haunted By Design
8. Mother
9. Nothing But A Name
10. Love Can Only Heal
11. Songbird
12. One Fine Day
I've followed Myles Kennedy from the beginning with the first Alter Bridge album right through to his second complete Slash album. I have a lot of time and respect for him and think his voice is one of the best in modern rock/metal music. His first solo outing with 'Year of the tiger' takes a rather drastic turn of style from all the previous albums he has appeared on by stripping back the distorted guitars and going for a much more acoustic feel and a wide range of styles within that framework. The versatility of this man knows no bounds. What I will say is that this album is a grower. There aren't any obvious stand out 'hits' for me. Had it been anyone else after first listen I probably might not have given it a second chance. With the benefit of the doubt and about 6 listens through my appreciation for the intricacy and arrangements on the album is growing. If there is a general theme to the style of the album I would say it's like campfire music with a small band. These songs are not destined for the arenas that Myles is accustomed to playing and his solo tour reflects that opting for smaller venues making tickets hard to come by as Nottingham UK sold out in seconds and I didn't get one (no bitterness about it. honest).
'The year of the tiger' sets the pace for the album and is the closest thing to a 'single'. With a kind of eastern vibe to it that is just the beginning of the wide range of influences on this album. 'The Great Beyond' with its orchestral layers and depth has the feel of an epic film score for something like a modern 007 movie. It's at the end of this track we hear the first bit of powerful highs that Myles Kennedy does best. 'Blind Faith' has a touch of a bluesy southern vibe to it with a slide guitar adding delicate touches to the intro/outro. This track is probably the most Alter Bridge sounding track when they go for the acoustic moments. The next track 'Devil On The Wall' after its misleading intro kicks into a rockabilly track that evokes imagery of an old western saloon and is one of the more high energy tracks. It goes without saying that throughout the album the vocals are always on form and distinctly Myles Kennedy. There's a return to the eastern vibe albeit with a slightly oriental twist with 'Ghost of Shangri Li'. 'Turning stones' doesn't really stand out to me and is the first sign of what may be considered filler. It's in keeping with rest of the album. Just not one of the better tracks. 'Haunted by design' is quite similar. I think what lets it down is Myles is going for a very low almost whisper like tone in the verse and the chorus's are very laid back. if you like that type of thing it's fine but for Myles it's a waste of potential in my eyes and he should leave this type of thing to people less capable than himself. 'Mother' returns to the signature vocal tone raising the mood of the album with a bit more energy. 'Nothing but a Name' is another return to a more Alter Bridge sounding track that plays around with time signatures for the chorus and is one of my top tracks on the album. The next track 'Love Can Only Heal' slows the mood right down with it's haunting orchestral feel building to a dark emotional slide guitar outro solo. The penultimate track 'Songbird' get back into a foot tapping acoustic vibe with a song that I can see the audience clapping along with at the live shows if it's played. This song should have been the final track because 'One Fine Day' falls back into the filler category for me and if it has to be on the album should have been lost in the middle.
I understand why Myles has gone for a more acoustic album because he's already done the hard rocking metal albums time and time again and probably wanted to get a bit more experimental and try something new. With that aim he accomplished it no question. Is it what I wanted to hear or what he is best at? I would say no.
Rating - First Listen = 5
Eighth Listen = 7
Best Track - Devil On The Wall
Worst Track - Haunted by Design
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