Myles Kennedy is a prolific songwriter, vocalist and guitarist who has conquered the stage in bands like Alter Bridge and Slash’s solo project. But with a break in between both groups, on October 11, he’s slated to release his third record and first since 2021 titled The Art of Letting Go, the new release date is October 11, 2024.
Kennedy has built off the greatness of his previous records to produce a stellar hard rock album that incorporates great sounds. The trio, in addition to Kennedy, features Zia Uddin on drums and Tim Tournier on bass. They are a force to be reckoned with. The trio creates forceful sounds that will fill the listener’s ears.
The album starts with the title track. Kennedy chooses to open the record up with an in-your-face, loud welcome to the album. It’s a loud opening track that gives fans a feel of what is to come in the rest of the record. Kennedy teamed up with producer Michael “Elvis” Baskette who has produced the last six Alter Bridge records and Slash’s Living The Dream and World On Fire albums. With that said, he knows how to perfectly capture Kennedy’s vocals – which he does on The Art of Letting Go.
“Say What You Will” clocks in at song No. 2. Kennedy has another unique riff on this track to open up the record. Uddin provides another heavy and fast beat that helps chug the tune forward. Fans will be full-on headbanging and foot-stomping on this track. It’s a classic hard rock tune that finds Kennedy in his finest form. The outro on this song is one of the best. It’s heavy and walks the line between metal-like. The outro has a great breakdown that carries the track to a close.
What has become constant between the three songs is that they all jump out of the starting gate with a great, memorable riff. Track three “Mr. Downside” is a brighter sound. The lighter tone of the track is very welcoming and does a great job of standing out from the previous two songs. This is one of Kennedy’s best vocal performances on the record. Right before the solo, there’s a great off-beat rhythm from Uddin. At first, I thought it could have been a mistake but, it’s not. It’s different, it caught me off guard and has now been one of my favorite aspects of the record.
“Miss You When You’re Gone” is a hard rock ballad as song four. The trio finds a great groove on this tune which translates into a very strong song. Kennedy has a clean, crisp guitar tone on this track. “Miss You When You’re Gone” deserves to be in the band’s setlist on their upcoming tour. It is one of the best songs on the entire record. Fans will find themselves returning to listen to this song time after time. If someone doesn’t know Kennedy’s music, have them listen to this track, they’ll be a fan of his work for life. It’s his best solo song to date.
Track five, “Behind The Vail,” contains a quiet opening that transitions into a tough, gritty and riff-driven tune. The solo on this song captures the essence and mood of the song perfectly. Tournier and Uddin do a great job at holding the rhythm down allowing Kennedy to solo and breathe. The ending is the same tranquil riff as the opening. It was nice to hear the repetition at the end which was the same as the beginning. It resonates with the listener.
“Saving Face,” has a cool electric hum throughout the song that adds another complex but necessary layer of sound. It’s another heavy song that works as one of the middle tunes and it compliments “Behind The Vail” nicely. Baskette captures the drums amazingly on this record. Uddin makes sure that he brings the power to not only this song but the entire record.
Song seven is the ballad, “Eternal Lullaby.” It’s refreshing to have multiple ballads on one record. It breaks up the heaviness of the other tracks and they end up standing out more. This tune features more of Kennedy’s layered vocals which show just how amazing his vocal range is.
I like how this tune is slower but captures a heaviness of emotion that translates to the beat and rhythm section of the track.
“Nothing More To Gain,” is one of the lead singles from the record and it doesn’t disappoint. The band’s hungriness seeps through on this tune. It’s easy to see why it’s one of the first songs released, it’s great. The hungriness of the band translates to jumpy beats, fast riffs and a memorable listen. It’s crazy to think about how three talented musicians can make so much blissful noise on one track.
It was only a matter of time before a wonderful slide guitar tune appeared on this record. For fans of perfect slide guitar, song nine, “Dead To Rights” is the song for you. This song is just another example of Kennedy’s versatility as not only a vocalist but also a guitarist. The fresh sounds continue on song 10, “How The Story Ends,” as Kennedy chooses to incorporate a twangy guitar sound which is supported by Uddin on percussion instruments. The tune will make fans reminiscent of his most recent record with Alter Bridge, 2022’s Pawns & Kings. Kennedy channels that sound but adds different guitar tones to make it his own. This tune is a great summary of the record.
Kennedy is stellar on his newest release, The Art of Letting Go. It has everything that his fans could ever want. Despite only having three solo records, Kennedy channels unique sounds and blissful guitar tones to create his best solo record. Through his arsenal of albums with Alter Bridge and Slash, Kennedy adds yet another amazing vocal performance on top of his great guitar mastery.
Rating:
8.5/10
Tracklist:
1. The Art Of Letting Go
2. Say What You Will
3. Mr. Downside
4. Miss You When You’re Gone
5. Behind The Vail
6. Saving Face
7. Eternal Lullaby
8. Nothing More To Gain
9. Dead To Rights
10. How The Story Ends
Myles Kennedy’s Solo Band Is:
Myles Kennedy – Lead Vocals/Guitar
Zia Uddin – Drums/Percussion
Tim Tournier – Bass
Follow Myles Kennedy Online:
My love for live music started with my first concert ever, Guns N’ Roses back in 2016. Since then, I’ve been able to capture photos of some amazing artists like Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Ace Frehley, and Post Malone. I am based in New York/New Jersey and go to school in Connecticut majoring in Journalism and I am always looking for the next concert to attend.
