There’s an advert on commercial radio at the moment for a betting company. The general thrust of it is if it wasn’t for football you’d have no general knowledge. To be fair that’s sort of true in my case. Undoubtedly my geography, for example, has improved from following my lot about.
However, as I’ve noted before, everything I believe about the South of the USA comes from country and Southern rock songs.
Right in the middle of “Kentucky Gold” comes “Southern Sounds” and it taps right into that. Hell, I know what a Whipporwill is in the lyrics because of Blackberry Smoke.
So in a way Kyle Daniel is .merely the latest in a long line of southern rock singers, the truth though, is that he’s sensational.
You knew he’d be good based on the fact that Kendell Marvell (he’s on the aforementioned “….Sounds”) Will Hoge and Jaren Johnston are just some of the people with co-writing credits here.
You might have heard “Summer Down South” his most recent single (which features The Cadillac Three and is almost perfect) but forget that.
It doesn’t prepare you for the incredible “Can’t Hold Me Back”, the opener here. Can you imagine a world where Chris Stapleton fronted Skynyrd? Imagine no more.
My god. A lifetime of loving this stuff means I know when I’m listening to something stunning.
Even better, it’s all nearly this good. “Fire Me Up” adds a bit of soul, “Runnin’ From Me” is one of the most “country” if you will – and you imagine takes you to some personal hell, and that’s before he nails blues on “Man Like That.”
Rock, blues, country, soul. All in the first four songs, and all there in the rest. As is a real dollop of Springsteen that exists in “Me And My Old Man”.
Co-writer on all of them, Daniel has one of the most superb voices you’ll hear. Bellowing but the next minute cracked and sounding like Steve Earle, as he does on “Following The Rain”, the first true ballad here.
However you view them, though these are just brilliant, diverse songs. The harmonica on “Deep In The Woods” comes straight from depths, and “Wild, Free And Easy” is not the hard-drinking anthem and instead reflective and kind of proud.
Interpreting the world around him seems to be a stock in trade to Daniel, and “Everybody’s Talkin'” has a look at 2024 and isn’t keen, and the beautifully emotive piano of “Divided We Are” is more of the same, and ends with a plea for unity.
On “… Man” he sings “A real dream doesn’t need a backup plan” and Kyle Daniel, with “Kentucky Gold” has found a real gem. The best debut album of its type for years.
So why no 10/10? The answer is Whiskey Myers. I once gave them full marks only for the next album to be even better. The follow-up to “Kentucky Gold” will be worth 12 on that basis.
RATING 9.5/10
REVIEW: KYLE DANIEL- KENTUCKY GOLD (2024)
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