Shades
Shades finds Doyle Bramhall II giving his attention to more than guitar alone. The Texas musician combines blues, soul and a touch of psychedelia in carefully arranged songs. Singing and atmosphere matter as much as solos. The result is a smooth, polished record that becomes strongest when something unexpected happens.
Love And Pain begins with a heavy rhythm, but moves towards soul as the chorus opens. That combination establishes the approach. Guitar colours the music without constantly demanding the leading role. Hammer Ring adds gospel-like backing vocals and makes the sound warmer and fuller.
The guests fit this approach well. On Everything You Need, Eric Clapton's guitar keeps the movement relaxed. Searching For Love lets Bramhall's voice connect neatly with Norah Jones. The duet chooses calm and cohesion over a large gesture. The melody has enough room to make an impression.
That calm has a drawback. Across the middle, several songs maintain roughly the same comfortable movement. The polished performances can leave too little tension. Live Forever, with Greyhounds, helps by giving the guitars more bite and making the pace more forceful.
Parvanah draws attention through a different melodic colour. Its Eastern influence and strangely distorted guitar introduce more unease. The song shows how much room remains inside this soul-focused approach. Bramhall sounds curious and relaxed at the same time.
Closer Going Going Gone brings in Tedeschi Trucks Band. A gentle start grows into a larger conclusion, with voices, horns and the meeting between lead and slide guitar. It is a strong ending to an album that sometimes stays rather safe. Shades mainly convinces through good songs and the moments when Bramhall opens up his orderly sound.
