Earl’s last few releases have occasionally been bogged down by excessive earnestness; stellar playing, but not much fun to listen to. And he’s tended to overwork dynamics, with whisper-quiet passages that distracted from the music’s flow. No such problems here, though – his music remains intensely personal, but gone is the sense that it’s a tool through which he’s working out his demons. He’s not exactly the life of the party, but there’s a feeling here that he’s once again finding, if not joy, at least a sense of fulfillment in his music. Spread The Love may lean a bit more to contemplative ruminations rather than blazing blues workouts, but it’s a thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying listen. And Earl remains, hands down, one of the finest guitarists around, endlessly inventive and possessed of breathtaking technical ability that never gets in the way of sheer feel – he can dazzle indeed, but it’s always about the emotional core of the song, not the notes themselves.
Spread The Love may well be Earl’s best yet. Highly recommended!
Article comments
1 - Josh Hathaway
John, enjoyed your review and enjoying the disc. I'm working up one of my own. We'll have to compare notes.
"Skyman" is also a repeater (from Grateful Heart) and a beautiful song.
Ronnie Earl is the Minister of Tone. There are things other guitarists do better than Earl (not many) but no one touches him on tone. No one.
2 - John Taylor
No question Earl is one of the finest guitarists around. His last couple of discs have been kind of hard to listen to, though - the last being a bit too much like his own twelve-step program to be worked through. This one's no less intense but much more enjoyable ... he seems to have found at least some peace, and the music is somehow purer for it.
Just my own humble opinion ...
3 - Josh Hathaway
The last album was a little tough with the roving cast of singers and you're right about lyrically there being some weak moments. A lot of it did read like an adaptation of the 12-step program. That he is so sincere about it all made up for some of that but the album just wasn't all that enjoyable. The instrumentals were still great but there were portions of it that were just kind of tough. 'Hope Radio' was great, though. It was a live, all-instrumental set and I love that. "Wolf Dance" and "Blues For Otis Rush" are both among his best.
Back to this new one, it feels much less heavyhanded and that's a welcome development. There's a song called "Happy" and he's not being ironic about it. I'm very pleased with this record. I've been listening to a ton of Earl's older discs this past month or so and while this one may not go to the top of that pile it will certainly fall in with the good ones.