Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band: Lay It On Down Review

The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band returns with Lay It On Down, the group’s first effort since 2014’s Goin’ Home, and the first batch of original material since 2011’s How I Go. From start to finish, Lay It On Down delivers blues rock of the highest quality.

The album opens with “Baby Got Gone,” which is the first music video released from the album and has Kenny on lead vocals. The song is an in your face blues rocker and sets the bar high for the rest of the album. Next up is the second single, “Diamonds and Gold,” a very catchy and groovy track featuring horns and wah-wah guitar with Shepherd once again on lead vocals. Speaking of catchy, “Nothing But The Night” follows and is track worth repeating over and over. Noah Hunt takes over lead vocals and it’s a standout on the album for sure.

The pace changes on the title track, which features Kenny back on vocals and shows off his songwriting chops. The song has a bit of Nashville influence, which is where the album was recorded. The southern influence rolls on into “She’s $$$” and the the country tinged “Hard Lesson Learned.” “Louisiana Rain” is one of the most inspired tracks on the album about Shepherd’s home of Louisiana and features a heartfelt vocal performance from Noah Hunt.

With this being the first batch of original material from the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band in six years expectations were high. Consider those expectations exceeded. Lay It On Down runs the gamut of modern day blues rock with its great songs, playing, and variety. There might not be a blues rock album this year that tops Lay It On Down, it’s that good. Well worth the wait, Lay It On Down is blues rock at its finest and a strong album of the year contender.

The Review: 9.5/10

Cant Miss Tracks

– Baby Got Gone
– Diamonds & Gold
– Nothing But The Night
– Lay It On Down
– Louisiana Rain

The Big Hit

– Louisiana Rain

Review by Pete Francis

Buy the album: Amazon | Amazon UK