By Dave Resto

Die-hard devotees of heavy blues-rock–trust me when I tell you that you’ll soon rejoice when Wisconsin-born, Los Angeles-based guitar titan, Jared James Nichols, returns with his newest effort, Black Magic (Listenable Records) on Friday, October 27th. On this strong follow-up to his 2015 debut album, Old Glory & the Wild Revival, Nichols and his band continue the well-established momentum, using it now to power Black Magic. Between albums, Nichols and his band spent a great deal of time touring and sharing the stage with many heavy-weight acts, including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Blue Oyster Cult, Zakk Wylde and ZZ Top. That time has served to further hone their chops, making them far too good a band to deliver anything less than another knock-out punch.

Fans of Jared James Nichols have come to know the signature tone of his single pick-up, Les Paul Custom guitar (nick-named “Old Glory,” hence, the title of his first album) and appreciate the unique attack of his pick-less playing method. That tone and attack rip through each of the ten tracks on Black Magic, beginning with “Last Chance.” An initially spacey intro is quickly taken over by the rolling thunder of drums and some beautifully over-driven power-chords and guttural vocals. Nichols’ lead break will not disappoint those who’ve waited to hear him shred anew. As the song comes to a halt, Nichols’ scream echoes, leaving a wake of sonic residue.

“The Gun” and “Don’t be Scared” are hard-hitting slow rolls. Both are tasty blues-rock hybrids; old-school blues riffs with unquestionably hard rock edge.

There’s some real magic happening on “Honey Forgive Me.” Through musical sleight of hand, Nichols and bassist, Erik Sandin, create concurrent guitar and bass lines, which together emulate the iconic keyboards of the late Jon Lord, of Deep Purple. The backing vocals by Jessica Childress grace the choruses. Very funky stuff going on here.

 

“Home” is another heavy, slow stomp with a dirty, swampy groove that owes much to the inventiveness of power-house drummer, Dennis Holm, who changes from crash beats, to rim clicks, to machine gun snare drum fills in all the right places. Jared James Nichols demonstrates a masterful touch on the track, nailing both the guitar licks and the appropriate tone. Listen to the way he “clucks” the strings during the lead, like a sage more than twice his years.

“Got to Have You” is reminiscent of a Kenny Wayne Shepherd tune with the upbeat, singing guitar line, the bass rumbling beneath it, and the back-beat rebound of the drums. It captures that classic KWS sound and feel. But Jared James Nichols quickly takes this song in a direction all his own, steering it toward a finish that has is stamp all over it.

Toward the end of the album, the songs, “End of Time”, “Run” and “Keep Your Light on Mama” light the blues-rock torch and carry it high. It bears mentioning here that throughout this album, the vocals, both lead and backing, are very well done. It’s an impressive feat for Nichols to sing on par with his scathing guitar work.

The closing cut, “What Love,” brings the sound way down, as if to let us catch our breath and dig a mellower groove. It’s carried by a fat, slightly distorted retro bass-line and minimalist drumming/percussion, over which Nichols plays some great guitar parts, which mimic his vocals during the pre-choruses and choruses. The lead on this one is straight-up, authentic blues.

All of the songs on Black Magic were co-written and produced by Jared James Nichols and Tony Perry (Joe’s son.)

I welcome your comments.

Black Magic releases October 27, 2017 on CD, vinyl and digital download.

The single, “Last Chance” is currently available as a digital download from Amazon UK.

Black Magic by Jared James Nichols will be available:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jaredjamesnichols/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2l7Z2HP9bqMaMFSdPP012g?autoplay=true

Apple/iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/jared-james-nichols/id534599711