Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

American rock bluesman Jonny Lang's first new album in seven years sees the multi Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter at the height of his powers. With his trademark powerhouse vocals and the sort of lead guitar virtuosity that has earned him the right to share the stage with the likes of BB King, Jeff Beck and the Rolling Stones, Lang kicks proceedings off in explosive fashion with the appropriately titled "Blew Up (The House)" to set the scene for a rollercoaster ride that never fails to surprise. For instance, initially gentle songs such as the soulful "Breakin' In" and the poetic "Seasons" morph into full blown epics on account of some great production work from Lang and his colleague Tommy Sims whilst Lang's incredibly inventive soloing takes each track up several gears. Having been freed through Christ from a life of substance abuse back in 2000, the gospel-tinged "River" and the supreme "We Are The Same" come closest to referencing Lang's relationship with God without mentioning specifics whilst the singer candidly wrestles with the temptation of what sounds like one night stands and forbidden attraction in the likes of "The Truth" and "I'll Always Be". Two acoustic live tracks are tagged on at the end which, despite taking the heat out of the overall high octane feel of this release, further showcase this impressive artist's versatility.

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