Review: 'Close to the Sun' by Rock Band Fortune Child

Fortune Child

By Mike O’Cull

Florida hard rockers Fortune Child deliver one of the best debut albums in recent memory with their masterfully crafted full-length effort Close to the Sun. Set to release March 1, 2022, the platter is a triumphant song cycle that demonstrates a music-first attitude and a full comprehension of what it takes to make relevant classic rock that moves a modern audience.

Kevin Elson (Journey, Mr. Big, Europe, Lynyrd Skynyrd) produced Close to the Sun and clearly achieved a creative synergy with the group that brought out one high-flying, soulful rock song after another. Fortune Child is one of those rare outfits that doesn’t just mimic the pentatonic mechanics of rock and roll but seems to live and breathe for it like the Old Masters. They make timeless ingredients and instrumentation sound fresh again and have dedicated themselves to keeping real, human music alive.

Fortune Child came to life in Jacksonville, Florida in 2021, inspired by the fire and fever of rock legends like Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Alice in Chains, and The Black Crowes. The four-piece lineup of Christian Powers on vocals, Buddy Crump on lead guitar, Melanie Jo on drums (Billy Gibbons and the BFGs), and Jon Ward on bass quickly made waves in the Southeast USA scene and built up a strong base of eager fans. Saying that Fortune Child is here to single-handedly save rock and roll puts undue pressure on the emerging band but drop the needle anywhere on Close to the Sun and they’ll instantly remind you why it matters.

The record opens with the hard-nosed blaster “The Way.” Vocalist Christian Powers has a mighty set of pipes that slice through the boiling-point beat the tune sits on without ever losing his tone and smoothness. Buddy Crump’s guitar parts are impressively tight and executed with the kind of Les Paul/Marshall sound most players dream of. Everything he plays is crisp and articulate, whether he’s sitting in the pocket or busting out a raging solo. The track is an attention-getter and works perfectly as the album’s launching pad.

“Don’t Shoot Me” is a blistering blues/rock cut caked in Rio Grande mud and driven hard into the night. Again, Crump’s guitar tone is huge and his playing spot-on. Drummer Melanie Jo goes all out and acts as a propellant for the rest of the group, kicking their backsides into gear. All three instrumentalists conspire to put down a full power trio sound that never loses depth or goes belly-up. It’s one of the most difficult tricks in the rock and roll book but Fortune Child has it nailed.

Another crowd-slayer, “Far” begins with Crump putting on a master class in rock rhythm guitar that feels as good as it sounds. The tune heads into an unexpected atmospheric section that lets the band utilize open space before getting back to its true crunching self. Christian Powers is as close to a perfect rock singer as there is and keeps his musicality, presence, and phrasing beyond reproach.

“Feet Down Low” is a stomping, mid-speed jam that uses a fuzzed-out, neck pickup tone that gives it some Sabbath-like dirge metal coolness. It definitely shows the heavier side of the band and how well the players can take a different strand of rock DNA and have their way with it like they did with the more blues-oriented songs. No matter which direction the album turns, Fortune Child stacks primordial influences into new-born greatness. They’re full of the loud, dirty, and forceful energy of true believers and Close to the Sun is about to kick open the doors for Fortune Child and lift them to the top of the game. Get ready to watch this bunch soar.

Watch “Far”