Orianthi: Some Kind of Feeling Review

Orianthi’s back! Brand new album Some Kind of Feeling, released on June 27th via Woodward Avenue Records, contains 9 fresh original tracks and a red-hot ZZ Top cover. Production credits go to the legendary Kevin Shirley, as well as Orianthi herself on tracks number 5, 6, and 8. Featuring tunes spanning across a wide variety of moods and genres, as well as showcasing the artist’s signature-style guitar mastery, it’s an album not to be missed. If you’re already a fan – you know you’re in for a treat; if however, you’re new to Orianthi, get ready to be blown away!

Setting things off is a lovely pop-rock anthem, all wrapped up in summery vibes. “Attention” features great dynamics and a catchy contemporary-country-style chorus. Midway through the song though, Ori rips a soaring guitar solo – somewhat out of character for summer anthems, but on the other hand, it’s classic Orianthi. “Some Kind of Feeling” is a groovy tune with a touch of soul influence, just going to show that this gifted songwriter and guitar virtuoso cares little about fitting within a specific genre boundary. The crown of this wonderfully-written title-track is the incredibly warm guitar tone and glorious backing vocals. Shifting the mood completely is a slow number titled “What I’ve Been Looking For”. The instrumental sections of this ballad sound like an homage to Pink Floyd. With excellent vocal delivery walking the fine line between ‘head’ and ‘chest’ voice, Orianthi surfaces a wide range of emotions. This is supplemented by guitar solos that pack tonnes of feel in addition to mere skill – incredible. Lifting the mood right back up is a cover of the ZZ Top classic “Sharp Dressed Man” – with a mean, revving guitar tone. This is as blues rock as it gets!

“Ghost” is the album’s second ballad, featuring immaculate piano parts and soulful vocals. The clever licks filling the gaps between verse lines create a question-answer dynamic between the guitar and vocals. The legendary Joe Bonamassa joins Orianthi in “First Time Blues” – a fiery minor-key blues rock track; a true burst of energy, a track that would surely blow audiences away from the word go if used as a setlist starter for live shows! Orianthi turns up the heat even further with an upbeat “Dark Days Are Gone”. The driving rhythm is irresistible in this one, not to mention the wah-infused face-melter of a guitar solo!

A dirty, sultry, slow-paced blues banger titled “Bad for Each Other” follows. Very hard to pick one standout element in this tune. The groove is heavy, the slide parts on the guitar are gritty as hell, and her powerful singing style oozes confidence. Probably my favourite on this album, although there’s fierce competition. “Call You Mine” is another ballad with slight country-rock influences, mellowing the atmosphere to an extent and paving the way for the album finale – a laid-back, smooth, acoustic-guitar driven slow-paced love song called “Heaven Right Here”.

Some Kind of Feeling is an outstanding record that flirts with pop, country, soul, rock, and blues, blending them effortlessly into a cohesive unit. Wonderful guitar work, a plethora of different vocal styles, songs well-written and thought-through, top quality musicianship from all contributors, and lastly, the production quality that makes the sound compact, whilst still letting it breathe naturally. Album of the year contender!

The Review: 9/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– Some Kind of Feeling
– First Time Blues
– Dark Days Are Gone
– Bad for Each Other

The Big Hit

– Bad for Each Other