Anyone hoping this follow up to the gospel-heavy 'Turn Around' would mark a return to the blues-rock of Jonny Lang's earlier records will be disappointed.
Incorporating soul, funk and Motown alongside contemporary R&B rhythms and radio-friendly hooks, there's little blues on display, but that largely proves to be irrelevant. The sparkling MOR tunes that make up 'Fight For My Soul' are impeccably composed and passionately played, while packing a surprising emotional punch courtesy of Lang's painfully honest lyrics.
Although repeated listens reap rich rewards, 'Fight For My Soul' isn't an easy record to digest. Its busy songs are packed full of layered instrumentation and Lang's new sound also poses questions about selling out, betraying his roots and whether such stylistic shifts are suited to his attributes.
In truth, he's been searching for a sound he's happy with on his last few records, and has been possessed by a creativity and love of music that extends way beyond the blues. 'Fight For My Soul' feels like an organic culmination of that exploration rather than a calculated career move.
The transition is made easier courtesy of opener Blew Up (The House). The most rockin' track on the record, its familiar Texan twang incorporates danceable beats, swaggering grooves and lashings of tasty backing vocals. Then things get soulful and funky. Breakin' In finds Lang's vocals switching from a Prince-like falsetto to a raunchy rasp as crisp, snapping rhythms punch and kick beneath him. Not Right bubbles along on a helium-heeled bassline until a jazzy bridge breaks into a taut, stabbing chorus.
It's impressive how cohesively Lang brings different styles together, making each song feel like a colourful musical journey. We Are The Same's verses boast distorted, staccato beats with lush '70s orchestration, its bridge finds cheeky strings skipping over a funkadelic breakdown, and the chorus sounds like a Stevie Wonder gem replete with celebratory harmonies.
There are also some epic compositions that stir the senses. The Truth begins with an exotic Santana guitar lick, underpinned with flamenco picking and dramatic piano. It's an emotionally wrought ballad that hits stunning musical and lyrical crescendos as Lang lays out his insecurities. The River, meanwhile, pulses with glistening Motown sass and a soaring gospel refrain, while I'll Always Be is a bleak piece about loving a difficult woman. Built around haunting piano work and melancholy orchestration, Lang wrings every ounce of devotion from his impassioned vocal.
The bold lyrical work mines emotional angst one minute, hope and empowerment the next. What You're Looking For is uplifting, with a wonderful, catchy hook, mixing Delta-inflected acoustic strumming with sweeping harmonies and sharp percussion. Seasons' cinematic balladry finds him struggling to cope with a loved one's death and over the course of the song he moves forward, using the lyrical concept and an evolving central melody to reach a tear-jerking finale.
Lang's versatile voice and musical sensibilities fit this music well, but the guitar solos are less inspiring and at times it seems like he's wilfully subverting his guitar hero persona. There are no captivating lead breaks, with solos often awkwardly phrased and shrouded beneath effects. Some characteristic JonnyLang guitar work would have been the icing on the cake.
'Fight For My Soul' is an album that Lang has made for himself, and it shows. The lyrics occasionally veer into preachy territory, and beliefs like “it's not right to pull the plug while the heart still beats”, won't suit everyone, but in an age where artists happily play it safe, it's refreshing to hear such a confident, individual artistic statement.
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