CD Review of Just As I Am

DANNY BRYANT'S  REDEYEBAND

Just As I Am is the seventh CD by Danny Bryant's Redeye Band. Like the previous six, it remains proof that the band is still one of the best blues/rock outfits on the scene. While the guitar is still front and center, there is now a shifted emphasis to the vocals. Fortunately, Bryant's voice is up to the task. He has always had a gritty, intense approach to his vocals and that is still the case here.

The first track, Shut Out the Light, begins with a great hook and is a good example of a call-and-response approach to guitar and vocals. I always wait for the guitar solo and was not disappointed. Although brief by Bryant's standards, it fits the song structure perfectly.

Blues for Buddy is vintage Danny Bryant. A song serving as a
tribute to Buddy Guy should contain a piercing, rapid-fire guitar sound and that is exactly what we get.

For the Last Time is a ballad that initially makes you think that there will be no guitar solo, but you don't care because the vocals and lyrics are so strong. However, about three minutes into the song, there is an excellent solo that lasts almost two minutes.

The next track, Every Time the Devil Smiles, is a tough, aggressive mid-tempo blues and is one of my favorites on the CD. The absence of the wah pedal on the first three tracks seemed to indicate that Bryant had decided to abandon the effect, but it makes its first appearance on the CD on this track.

Next up is Just As I Am. It is clear why this song is the title track. A slow, powerful, heartfelt song that encapsulates all that is impressive about this band: songwriting, vocals, intense guitar solos, and band cohesiveness are all on display. Ken Bryant (Danny's father) on bass guitar and Trevor Barr on drums once again provide firm, but never intrusive, in-the-pocket support.

Master of Disaster, a John Hiatt song, is the only non-original on the CD. It is taken from Hiatt's 2005 CD of the same name and is a surprising, interesting choice for a cover song. Hiatt is one of the more underappreciated artists that we have and I would like to see Bryant cover more of his songs, particularly such rockers as Paper Thin or Tennessee Plates.

Day by Day is one of the slower tracks on the CD. As Bryant has proved throughout his career, slow does not have to coincide with a lack of intensity. The wah pedal makes another appearance on this track and it is perfectly utilized.

The Hard Way is a track that perhaps comes closest to the definition of blues/rock. It has a chugging rhythm to it that he has used several times before on his previous CDs and I never tire of it.

Alone in the Dark, at well over eight minutes, is the longest track on the CD. It serves as a perfect example of Danny Bryant's song dynamics where he starts the song with a slow, ballad-like approach for the first two-thirds of the song, but the last third consists of a jaw-dropping guitar solo. It reminds me of his performance of Always with Me from two of his previous CDs.

Let me conclude by saying that I have been listening to blues and rock music for 45 years. Never in my experience have I enjoyed and been impressed by a band over the span of seven consecutive releases as I have with Danny Bryant's Redeye Band. They never forget what made them great to begin with, yet always manage to introduce new wrinkles with every release.

Now, where's that DVD so I can see them in concert without having to go through YouTube to do it?

Al Kaplan                www.bluesrockers.ws