Stephen Dale Petit - 2020 Visions '2020

Tracks list

Singer/guitarist Stephen Dale Petit’s 2020 Visions is throwback rock and
roll, with nods to blues and glam rock. The album is all over the place, not in
a disorganized way, but rather like an epic drive where you’re constantly
changing the radio station and never finding a bad song. Petit and his band are
fluent in many styles and toggle through them, often within a single tune,
resulting in complex tracks that still manage to make your heart race and your
head bang.

Petit is American-born but a fixture of the British blues rock scene, having
played with Rolling Stones past and present Mick Taylor and Ronnie Wood. You
might expect someone with that kind of pedigree to have a little bit more of a
laid-back vibe, but 2020 Visions, Petit’s sixth album, while never going
full-on into metal, flirts hard with it. Petit might love the Stones, but
he’s not trying to recreate their sound. Perhaps their spirit, but
definitely not their sound.

“Soul of a Man” is one of the album’s strongest tracks. Built
upon a slow-but-heavy drum groove and a stinging Paul Jones harmonica riff,
Petit manages to pull the song in two directions simultaneously, his distorted
slide guitar pure modern blues and his vocals giving the song a punk rock snarl.
But, as if that wasn’t enough, Shemekia Copeland, a truly talented
Americana singer (seriously; go check her out), joins him for the chorus, which
gives the tune a glammy sing-song quality, reminiscent of Mötley
Crüe’s “Home Sweet Home” or Guns N’ Roses’
“Paradise City.” Somehow “Soul of a Man” is heavier,
though, but also more rooted in the blues. Petit and his band are juggling a
lot, keeping all of the balls in the air, managing to make it look easy.

“Tinderbox” is the album’s fastest song. Featuring a pounding
rhythm, Petit’s vocals are pure anger, and his guitar is all over the
track. Where the rest of the album is more balanced, “Tinderbox”
feels like it’s mostly made up of Petit’s guitar, with vocals and
some drums backing things up from a safe distance. But one has the sense it
wouldn’t be a substantially different song with just Petit’s
feedback laden guitar and barking vocals.

Not all of 2020 Visions‘ is heavy, though. “The Ending of the
End” is a slow blues that morphs into a ballad. Petit’s playing is
straight-forward but also beautiful, bluesy bends resolving into jazzy runs, his
tone having the impact of an intravenous shot of espresso. While it’s a
strong Petit performance, his voice sounding both vulnerable and bratty,
it’s hard to not be hypnotized by his gorgeous soloing. Guitarists can
hide behind a lot in a fast song, but in a slower one, like this one, Petit is
exposed and never blinks, delivering some emotional soloing.

The album’s aggression is interesting, especially in Petit’s
vocals. Blues and blues rock often repress explicit anger, or at least stash it
away into guitar solos. But 2020 Visions doesn’t feel hopelessly bilious.
The balance is possible because of the variety in the music; there are lots of
shades of gray that temper Petit’s more intense moments, if not sanding
off all of the dark, jagged edges, then certainly shining them so they catch the
light. It also helps that he’s such a great singer and guitarist, which
adds a tint of exhilaration to the entire album.

Tracklist:
01. Stephen Dale Petit - 2020 Visions
02. Stephen Dale Petit - The Fall of America
03. Stephen Dale Petit - Roxies Song
04. Stephen Dale Petit - Soul of a Man (feat. Shemekia Copeland & Paul Jones)
05. Stephen Dale Petit - On Top
06. Stephen Dale Petit - Long Tall Shorty
07. Stephen Dale Petit - Raw
08. Stephen Dale Petit - Tinderbox
09. Stephen Dale Petit - The Ending of the End
10. Stephen Dale Petit - Steppin Out
11. Stephen Dale Petit - Makin It
12. Stephen Dale Petit - Sputnik Days
13. Stephen Dale Petit - Zombie Train

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