Sunday, August 05, 2007


Devon Allman’s Honeytribe – Torch (Provogue).

Son of Gregg Allman, Devon & Honeytribe, hopes to carry the family name on to new heights with this, his debut album for the excellent blues/rock label, Provogue. Torch has eleven originals from Allman and they open with the eponymous title track which is blistering funky rock. Allman’s deep vocal tones are intoxicating and he follows in the family tradition for classy guitar playing. This is a classic rock album opening track. The instrumental Mahalo has shades of 70s style San Francisco rock. If you like your guitar rock then you are going to fall for this so get your wah wah out! You wouldn’t normally expect to find a Bob Marley track on an out and out rock album but Allman’s treatment of No Woman, No Cry is sheer class! It’s hard to take such an iconic song and not do damage but you will love this. When I Call Home is an altogether slower pace and this easy rocker is so slick. Perfect World is a big blasting grungy blues that announces a new star to the firmament. Mercy Mercy has Joe Bonamassa on lead guitar and he burns up the frets. This is stunning as Bonamassa brings a different flavour to the Honeytribe of George Potsos on bass, Mark Oyarzabal on drums and Jack Kirkner on keyboards. Something I Know is slow, stadium rock and Heaven Has No Mercy is a Southern style rocker with acoustic slide from Pedro Arevalo. The up-tempo Why You Wanna Bring Me Down is a rocking blues and the second instrumental, 511 Texas Avenue, shows Allman’s fantastic technique on acoustic guitar. They close with Nothing To Be Sad About, an uplifting, good time blues where the title says far more than I can. This is one of the albums of the year.

http://www.provoguerecords.com/
http://www.honeytribe.com/

David Blue.

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