Kenny Wayne Shepherd ‘Dirt on My Diamonds, Volume 2’, album cover front

Review: Kenny Wayne Shepherd ‘Dirt on My Diamonds, Volume 2’

By Hal Horowitz

There was no question that, judging from the title of Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s previous release Dirt on My Diamonds, Volume 1, there would be a follow-up. But anyone thinking he used all his best songs already will be delighted to know that this next volume might even be better. It’s certainly just as solid.

The backstory to both is that Shepherd decamped to the legendary FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama to soak up some of that iconic location’s mojo. It must have worked since he co-wrote 14 new tunes, then moved cross-country to record them in LA’s all analog Band House Studios, just before it was demolished.

Splitting those into two discs at either end of 2024 was more an artistic than economic decision. Certainly a 16 track single platter, with less than an hour’s running time, would have been logical. But with so much new material (there are only two covers), some of the entries were likely to get lost in the shuffle. It also allowed Shepherd to introduce freshly penned songs on tour, without getting bogged down playing too much of it.

Both titles are sonically similar since the music was recorded concurrently. That means the soulful sound Shepherd and co-producer/songwriter Marshall Altman embraced on the previous set remains for Dirt on My Diamonds Volume 2 (released Sept. 20). The liberal use of horns is again emphasized, likely resulting from the FAME connection where brass was also common.

That’s apparent as soon as you press play and the opening thump of “I’ve Got a Woman” (not the Ray Charles classic) jumps out, augmented by a propulsive beat and punchy brass. Shepherd rips into fiery yet compact solos as long-time frontman/vocalist Noah Hunt and the guitarist chant the title. In just over four minutes they deliver what will surely be a concert highlight.

It’s merely a teaser for the following “The Middle,” a rare Shepherd dip into the socio-political world with the words “I used to watch the evening news/And all I saw was reds and blues/And we both know it all comes down to green.” The booming sax and trumpet infuse an early Chicago (the band) approach, further reinforced by the liberal use of wah-wah, similar to solos from that group’s original guitarist Terry Kath.

Kenny Wayne gets his Sly & the Family Stone-infused funk on in “Pressure” with horns punctuating the groove as he sings about the stresses of “Climbing up that Iadder/Dancing with the stars/But every time I get there/They move the freaking bar.”

The wiry, chugging Southern rocker “Watch You Go” is a kiss-off to a one-night stand. Hunt growls “Here’s my name and number if you need a handy man” with that familiar husky voice, the focal point of so many great Shepherd songs. He also bellows out “It’s a hard ride/Against the tide/If you ain’t rising up/It’s a long way down” on the mid-tempo riff-rocking “Long Way Down,” another serious look at life’s darker side, propelled by horns and the band cranking behind him.

The lone ballad, “My Guitar is Crying,” can’t help but be thematically associated with George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” However with a floating soulful melody and Shepherd’s emotionally touching vocals it sounds nothing like it.

The closing Texas shuffle of ZZ Top’s bluesy “She Loves My Automobile,” this program’s lone cover, is feisty with Hunt smirking Top’s typically suggestive lyrics.

That fleshes out Dirt on My Diamonds, Volume 2, a short yet sturdy offering which barely breaks a half hour. It wraps another classy, energized, often striking collection from Shepherd who adds soupçons of Southern soul to his impressive blues rocking catalog.

Pre-order the album HERE

“I Got A Woman”