by Alexandra Mrozowska
– Sr. Columnist —
The overall tendency of many seasoned Rock musicians is to go back to their roots – which in practice usually becomes the (in)famous tendency to go Country at some point in their careers. Some attempts at doing so are worthwhile artistically. Others are nothing but jumping on a Nashville-friendly bandwagon – something which Bon Jovi’s done their fair share of not so long ago. But there’s alternative to both, it seems – offered by Silent Rage’s Jesse Damon on his new solo album Southern Highway.
One thing has to be said loud and clear about Southern Highway: in spite of its apparently suggestive title, it’s not a straight-forwardly Blues album soaked in gritty sound of the American South. It simply doesn’t go that deep aesthetically. With tracks such as “You Got Me Rockin,” you may even wonder what all the bluesy, back-to-the-roots hype was about as the uptempo, guitar-driven piece embroidered with a catchy chorus is more Melodic Rock than anything else. Aware that a drastic change of sound and style would have discouraged his longtime listeners rather than encourage the new ones, Damon is careful if not picky in his stylistic choices. Exploration of the musical heritage of the South is generally a fine path to tread, but too much of a good thing… you say it.
Balance is, however, always a way to go, and Southern Highway reflects it well. It can’t be said that the Americana flavor is nowhere to be found on the album. The Honky-tonk, boogie vibe to “Foolish To Me” or “Who’s Your Daddy,” the gritty groove of the title track, the spacious, Skynyrd-ish feel to “Let It Slide”… or the ominous tone in Jesse Damon’s voice as he tells a story of the eponymous “Devil Down The Road.” Still, it’s more or less Melodic Hard Rock with a handful of bluesy undertones than the actual journey to the very heart the Mississippi Delta (a famous bargain with the devil included). Southern Highway is a conglomerate of different musical influences, and incorporates as much of blues and country elements as of the ‘80s rock with its big choruses and juicy guitar licks. Songs such as “Backstabbin’ Lover” are testimony to this fact – a slightly different arrangement would have made the aforesaid piece a fine bonus addition to a reissue of any Silent Rage ‘80s album.
With its rootsy element introduced carefully alongside catchy melodies, Southern Highway is a varied and enjoyable album. By certain – yet measured – borrowings and incorporations, Jesse Damon escaped the piteous fate of releasing “yet another” Modern Melodic Rock replica we’d dread to give a spin. The record’s a fairly honest account of the artist’s diverse influences and fascinations with different musical genres, Americana included, instead. Southern Highway also remains straightforward and honest in its storytelling aspect, being anything but the lyrical exercise in subtlety. But better check it out yourself how this marriage of Melodic Rock and bluesy undertones works in practice – no matter which genre you’d normally prefer.
Genre: Melodic Rock, Country Rock, Blues
Band:
Jesse Damon – vocals, guitar, bass guitar
Kurt Markham – drums
Chris Tanori – bass guitar
Tracklist:
1. Who’s Your Daddy
2. You Got Me Rockin’
3. Let It Slide
4. Foolish To Me
5. Southern Highway
6. Devil Down The Road
7. Backstabbin’ Lover
8. Starting Right Now
9. Outta My Mind
10. Just Another Fool
Label: On Fire Records
Website: http://jessedamon.com
Hardrock Haven rating: 9.5/10
