Review Summary: A good album, that consists of good alternative rock song with soul-influences. A must-listen for Myles Kennedy fans.
As soon as a musician becomes famous, a lot of people start to listen to his/her previous records, which are mostly unknown. One of them is Myles Kennedy, the lead singer/lead guitarist of The Mayfield Four, who has had a successful career after the bands split-up in 2002 - Alter Bridge, Slash and the Led Zeppelin audition. On the debut album of his 3rd band The Mayfield Four present an interesting mix of alternative rock and soul.
First of all, „Shuddershell" starts with a monotonous yet interesting guitar effect in the background while Kennedy is singing the first verse. For this reason, this song is a great choice for an album opener. As the song progresses, it becomes more energetic with a cool chorus.
Starting with a memorable guitar riff proceeded by a sing-along chorus and a soul-influenced bridge part, “Suckerpunch” really proves to be a stand-out track. Throughout the whole album, this song structure is used several times, but the result is a certain lack of diversity. Furthermore, the interludes by the guitar constitute a dynamic atmosphere. Kennedys’ singing combines melody, technique and emotion in most songs, which makes his vocals the most essential part on this CD Lyrically, the album is rather melancholic dealing with topics such as loss, inner struggles and being disoriented in life, but in a quite mature way. Contrary to the lyrical content, the more aggressive songs are often the better ones in this album.
Another notable song is the album’s title – and probably the albums’ best – track “Fallout”. It’s basically a common alternative rock song of the late 90’s. Nevertheless, the quiet and almost desperate atmosphere at the beginning emphasized by clever pauses, turns more reflective and powerful during the second half- and make this song the album’s most memorable track.
The cover of Marvin Gayes’ “Inner City Blues(Make me wanna holler)”, gives Kennedy the possibility to show what he’s capable of – melancholy, allegation and a falsetto part - all combined in one tune. Moreover, it has a more blues/rock-oriented sound than the original does, because e.g. a slightly distorted guitar is used. Because of the outro-solo by the guitar and the remarkable vocals, this track is a decent way to end the album and therefore, the complete album leaves a good mark.
All in all, “Fallout” is a great album consisting of some good and some excellent songs. The overall sound is a mix of soul and alternative rock, which is pretty unique. In the long run, you might end up listening to just a few tracks rather than the whole album.
3.5/5
Best Tracks: “Suckerpunch” “Fallout” “Inner City Blues”
