Review: 'Shadow Dancer' Jared James Nichols

Jared James Nichols

By Mike O’Cull

Singer, songwriter, and emerging blues/rock guitar superstar Jared James Nichols drops a small-but-mighty dose of his high-test magic on his new EP Shadow Dancer. Set to bust out September 17, 2021 on Black Hill Records, the record contains four new songs that authentically tap into the blues-informed hard rock glory that defined the classic rock era. Nichols, however, does the almost-impossible feat of putting that sound down in an original way that doesn’t sound like someone’s collection of vintage vinyl. He tracked the new material at Blackbird Studios in Nashville with producer Eddie Spear (Jack White, Chris Stapleton) at the helm, rocking them live at maximum volume to analog tape as nature intended. The performances captured during those sessions are intense and full of the kind of fire not often seen in today’s phone-it-in digital world and true rock fans will absolutely revel in the flames Nichols shoots out of their speakers.

Jared James Nichols is an up-and-coming artist who has already made big waves in the music industry. His pickless electric guitar style is fluid and ripping, his vocals are soaring and gruff, and his knack for putting amazingly listenable songs together is second to none. Strapped with his heavily worn and modified Gibson Les Paul, Nichols is clearly a guitar hero on the rise. His debut effort, Old Glory & the Wild Revival, only dropped in 2015 and was followed in 2018 by his next record Black Magic. In the short time between then and now, Nichols has built a large, ever-growing following, played more than 400 gigs around the globe, and appeared onstage with the likes of Slash, Billy Gibbons, Joe Bonamassa, Zakk Wylde, and the late Leslie West. He even has two signature Epiphone guitar models that carry his name. Listening in, you get the feeling that Nichols is going to become a whole lot more famous in the next couple of years.

Shadow Dancer opens with the single “Skin ‘n Bone,” a grinding, mid-tempo rocker with a heavy soul and a big-league chorus. It’s one of those tunes that you know you dig after only about 30 seconds and you just have to see where it goes. Nichols’ vocals are honest and expressive and his lyrics display a wisdom a lot of people never reach. His guitar work and tones are both beyond reproach and he pours on the gas in ways that are both thrilling and musical.

“Bad Roots” shifts into a higher, harder gear that, at times, resembles early Sabbath mixed with Nichols’ own unique way of thinking. His vocals are moody and compelling here, showing a different texture than on the previous cut. Again, his guitar tone is epic, dirty, and warm and will send the players out there on a mission to cop it for themselves. Jared’s vibe gets deeper with each successive track as he shows us his vision of what guitar music should be. If you’re bored with paper-thin, welterweight rock “stars,” Nichols may well be the artist you’ve been seeking to find.

Jared’s title song, “Shadow Dancer,” closes out the EP in a heavy, magnificent way that proves that he has both the gift and the craft of music on lockdown. His melodic instincts are right on target and he pushes them past the point of what’s expected and into the land of greatness. He generates atmosphere and rage in equal measure here as well as an expansive set of ideas that will keep you glued right to the end. Strong stuff. Jared James Nichols is unquestionably writing his chapter of the future of rock music right now in front of us all and it’s looking bright and strong. Don’t miss his ascent.

Watch “Skin n’ Bone”