By Kevin Porter
British blues-rock guitarist Danny Bryant will be releasing his twelfth album, Revelation, on April 20th, on Jazzhaus Records. At the age of 37, Bryant will be celebrating his 20thyear as a professional, working musician in 2018. Although Bryant is new to me, he is well thought of in the blues world. As one example, Bryant filled in for Walter Trout when Trout was recovering from his known health issues.
Revelation comes in the wake of a tough year for Bryant, as he lost not only a close friend but also his father, Ken Bryant. Before turning solo, Danny fronted RedEyeBand with his father on bass. The two played over 2,000 shows together until Ken’s retirement in 2013. Bryant is quite public with his struggles with anxiety and depression and Revelationaddresses these issues head on. The album can be dark at times as themes of loss, isolation and despair are tackled. Countering that darkness, however, is the joy that music brings to life, and these two themes alternate throughout the record. From beginning to end, Bryant’s guitar playing is top notch, and his gruff but impassioned singing serves these songs well. He also brought in the horn section of his “Big Band” that he toured with in Europe late last year.
The title track kicks off the album. A quiet piano lick precedes Bryant’s passionate vocal, then the song jumps into heavy, organ-driven rock, and Bryant rails against forces destroying the world. The imagery in the song is quite vivid, with “the sky was liquid flames” and the “reaper standing outside the gate.” A melancholic trumpet solo mid-way adds to the heaviness of the song. Towards the end, Bryant imagines he sees his father before they said goodbye.
The next track, “Isolate,” is a rock and roll ballad about how one can feel disconnected from the world and loved ones. The sound is huge and roars out of your speakers with double-tracked vocals and guitars backed up by a gigantic drum pattern. Bryant closes the song with a squalling guitar solo that soars into the ether as the song fades.
Bryant listened to a lot of 1970s-era music and it is certainly demonstrated in “Liars Testament,” with a heavy organ riff that starts the song and underlies it throughout. Somewhere, the late Jon Lord of Deep Purple fame is smiling. The tension in the song mounts in the middle, as Bryant solos over a swelling horn section that builds before the band explodes into the chorus.
“Sister Decline” is the first single from the album. Bryant describes the song as a blues shuffle meeting contemporary rock. The heavy organ sound anchors the song while Bryant plays a stinging guitar riff, accented by the horns. The song addresses temptation and addiction, a habit that is tough to break. “Truth or Dare” is a blues shuffle workout—Bryant wrote the song for the horn section, and they shine on this one.
Two covers grace the album. One is an old favorite of mine, Howling Wolf’s “May I Have a Talk With You,” a slow blues classic featuring the sublime guitar playing of Hubert Sumlin. Stevie Ray Vaughan fans may remember the song from the album, The Sky is Crying. Bryant does the song justice, drawing out every note and keeping the song at a slow simmer. The other cover is of John Mellencamp’s “Someday the Rain Will Fall,” an acoustic ballad that is a departure from the electric rock and blues of the rest of the album. The theme is familiar to blues fans, as in trouble will come in your life just like the rain will fall.
Revelation marks a milestone in Bryant’s career in that he channeled his feelings of darkness and sadness over the death of his father and close friend into songs, and at the same time expanded his sound into a heavier mix of rock and blues. Revelation is ultimately a rewarding album that reveals its treasures with repeated listens.
For more information on Revelation by Danny Bryant:
Website: http://www.dannybryant.com
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/dannybryantband
Apple/itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/revelation/1328894867
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