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"“Nomad”, Richie Kotzen's 23rd solo album, is a compendium of virtuosity and eclecticism that nevertheless lacks the unity to stand out as a must-have in his rich discography."
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3/5
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Richie Kotzen never stops. After celebrating his 50th birthday in 2020 with the generous 50-song “50 for 50”, collaborating with Adrian Smith on a remarkable album and showering The Winery Dogs' “III” with his class, he returns in 2024 with his 23rd solo album, “Nomad”. Much shorter than its predecessor, this new opus of eight tracks and less than 35 minutes, a veritable condensation of groove and virtuosity, is a perfect synthesis of the artist's eclectic and virtuoso universe.
Richie Kotzen impresses right from the album's first two tracks. First with 'Cheap Shots', its incisive rock riff and energy worthy of the best Rolling Stones, and then with 'These Doors', driven by an imposing bass, an irresistible jazz-funk groove and the American's unique soul voice. In just two tracks, Kotzen sums up the extent of his talent, between groovy rock and inspired jazz-rock.
And that's just the beginning, because he then pushes his taste for experimentation and contrasts even further. These include “Insomnia”, where dark verses contrast brilliantly with luminous soul-funk choruses, the title track “Nomad”, with its complex bass lines and bold jazz-rock, and “Nihilist”, an experimental, almost progressive track strongly influenced by Frank Zappa.
With “Nomad”, Richie Kotzen once again demonstrates his incredible versatility. A virtuoso guitarist with an inimitable style, a singer with a velvety voice and an inhabited performer, he also recorded the bass and drums himself on the majority of the tracks, all of which stand out for their intrinsic quality and impeccable sense of composition, with the exception of 'This Is A Test', a dispensable acoustic ballad that lacks breadth and depth.
But eclecticism has its limits, and “Nomad”'s shortcoming is precisely the lack of a real common thread, which leaves a feeling of incompleteness and makes this album an exercise in style, certainly brilliant, but not really essential in a career marked by far more memorable peaks. A good album, no doubt, but not the one that will mark the history of an artist as prolific as he is singular. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. Cheap Shots 02. These Doors 03. Insomnia 04. Nomad 05. Escape 06. On The Table 07. This Is A Test 08. Nihilist
LINEUP:
Richie Kotzen: Chant / Guitares
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(0) MIND(S) FROM OUR READERS
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Top of the page
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(1) COMMENT(S)
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READERS
3/5 (1 view(s))
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STAFF:
3.3/5 (3 view(s))
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IN RELATION WITH RICHIE KOTZEN
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OTHER REVIEWS
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