Monday 20 October 2014

Devon Allman: Ragged and Dirty

Ragged and Dirty
Devon Allman

Devon's 2013 Ruf Records debut - Turquoise - was featured here back in February 2013. Since then, he has been very active as part of the Royal Southern Brotherhood supergroup and he freely admits the experience has raised his game.

''I have to say that playing with Royal took my career to a new level. It's given me more confidence and a new found love for the music. I'm delighted that there's a new shot of fire in my music.''

Track List

Half The Truth
Can't Lose 'em All
Leavin'
I'll Be Around
Traveling
Midnight Lake Michigan
Ten Million Slaves
Blackjack Heartattack
Back To You
Times Have Changed
Ragged and Dirty
Leave The City

Ragged and Dirty offers a wide range of styles under the umbrella of the blues. Half The Truth kicks things off with a great riff and a hard rocking sound and elsewhere there's ballads (such as Leavin'), soul (I'll Be Around), funk (Traveling), a protest song - albeit a fast-paced one rather than an acoustic warble (Ten Million Slaves) and even an instrumental (the atmospheric Midnight Lake Michigan - at nine minutes and 31 seconds, the longest track on the album).

Turquoise was a fine album, but Ragged and Dirty has moved things up a stage or two further for Devon Allman. The range of styles, the musicianship and the gravelly, bluesy voice see him firing on all cylinders.

For all things Devon Allman, head for his official website.

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