Album Review: Slash - 4

With the three albums Slash has made with Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators, one thing has been made very clear to me; Guns N Roses was a unique happenstance that can't be replicated. Axl couldn't do it with his band of replacements, and Slash couldn't do it either. Now, that is only a preface for the real heart of the matter; Slash has been making great records. Guns N Roses was a blip on the radar, with only the one truly excellent album, while this older version of Slash has put together three records with this group that are everything an old-school rock fan could want, other than being 'dangerous'. That's always been a code word for either sloppy or unprofessional, so I'm not going to use it as a criticism. Slash found himself a writing partner who makes the most of his guitar work, and together they bring out the best in one another.

For this new record, things are a little bit different. They obviously didn't use any energy coming up with a title, and they also made this record faster, cutting it essentially live on the floor of the studio. That results in a record that has more humanity and imperfection, but it also results in an album with a major setback compared to the others.

Let's start with the good news. Slash and Myles have come up with another album that gives us the gritty riffs, melodic leads, and soaring vocals we're used to. One listen to the first single, "The River Is Rising", and you know everything you need to know about the record. Slash still plays like only Slash can, and Myles hasn't run out of great melodies, even with as many albums as he has made in the last ten years. Rock music is really pretty simple when we think about it, and by not thinking so much about it, they get it just right.

There's nothing flashy about this record, which is exactly as it should be. These guys are writing and recording for the fun of it, and these are the sorts of songs you come up with when that's the goal. No one is trying to impress anyone by breaking the mold, or showing off new techniques. They want to write good songs that they want to play live, and the audience will want to hear. On that front, they accomplish their goal.

Now for the bad news. By cutting the record live, and by wanting a more organic sound, the production of the record suffers. The previous records sound amazing, with some of the best guitar tones I've ever heard. This record is buzzy, messy, and sometimes hard to pick out the details. It's raw, sure, but what it brings in energy I feel it loses in power. The rhythm guitars, in particular, don't have the crunch and heaviness I was expecting. Instead, the distortion is harsher, and often conflicts with the space Myles' voice needs to sit. Even when the record is good, it's less enjoyable to listen to than the previous ones, for that very reason.

There's also more of the old Snakepit blues creeping in on this record. While the previous ones have had some of that, but largely as a flavor among the crunching hard rock, this one puts it much more to the forefront. That gives the record a bit more swagger, but the blues also puts cuffs on some of the vocals. On both "Whatever Gets You By" and "Actions Speak Louder Than Words", Myles follows the bluesy riff in the chorus, which keeps his vocal lower and more predictable.

That leads me to this conclusion; "4" is probably my least favorite of the albums Slash and Myles Kennedy have made together. It's still a good album, but the highs aren't as high, and it's harder on the ears than I would prefer. Both by style and sound, I don't see myself returning to this record as often as I do the others. It's a mild disappointment.