This review was published in the December 2018 issue of Classic Rock magazine, no. 256.
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A Robben Ford album on which the guitar does not take centre stage.
Tangle With Ya is heavier than expected, whereas Empty Handed is sultry, rich in acoustic twang and Southern imagery (“West Virginia bound, I never heard the sound of her frustration”). Shemekia Copeland provides guest vocals on Break In the Chain, although it’s a shame that she didn’t have a more substantial song on which to showcase her evident talent. Wild Honey is reminiscent of our short-lived, world-cup-heatwave portion of the summer (“Raise up my window, feel the beautiful breeze”). Travis McCready’s vocals on Somebody’s Fool ease the song into full-on blues rock territory, while Drew Smithers’ solo in Willing to Wait has a distant quality, as if recorded among the rock formations of Monument Valley.
With emphasis on songwriting and the faultless production talents of Casey Wasner, this album brilliantly combines Southern drawl, just enough distortion and the recognisable Ford solos that we all love him for.
8/10