Stuckey, Joey: The Shadow Sound

Georgia native Joey Stuckey is one talented guitar player and given the fact that he has been blind since he was an infant is all the more remarkable. According to the press release his playing is influenced by the jazzier side of Wes Montgomery and Jeff Beck. I could not help but think of the late Canadian guitarist Jeff Healey while listening to The Shadow Sound, Stuckey's sixth album.

This is a pretty interesting record and not your typical pop/rock album. There is a quirky aspect to Stuckey's songs that help them become a little more memorable than what you will hear on the radio, plus there are head sticking melodies throughout. His guitar playing is outstanding and while he can play fast, Stuckey prefers a more genuine approach exhibiting much more feeling than your average rock axe slinger. Stuckey also proves to be a fine vocalist as his rich soulful voice permeates these fourteen original songs. Stuckey also has a quality band behind him including help from David Ragsdale of Kansas fame.

The album begins with the guitar driven rock of "Take A Walk In The Shadows" with fiery lead guitar and saxophone to deepen the groove. Stuckey takes a poppier approach on the upbeat "So Blue" with underlying Hammond and the quirky "Funny" with its off kilter melody and fusion-style lead work. "Mr. Mooney" is another guitar centered piece with some sweet acoustic leading to crunchier electric riffs when you least expect it. Stuckey's slide guitar on this one is one of the CD's best moments. Stuckey shows his jazzier side on the pretty "Bad Dreams" with nice acoustic guitar and the feel good "Still Me, Sane & Free". Another highlight is the bluesy "Hold" featuring Stuckey's outstanding acoustic fretwork.

The Shadow Sound is a very good album and its somewhat eclectic nature should give it a longer shelf life than many other albums by pop/rock artists in today's music scene. Well done Mr. Stuckey.

Track Listing:
1. Take A Walk In The Shadows (3:06)
2. So Blue (2:04)
3. The Light That Guides (4:36)
4. Funny (5:37)
5. Mr. Mooney (6:42)
6. Narrow Minded (5:58)
7. Not The End Of The World (5:14)
8. Runnin' (4:36)
9. Hate You (5:47)
10. Bad Dreams (3:43)
11. Still Me, Sane & Free (3:22)
12. Hold (3:30)
13. Holly Tree Hopeful (3:05)
14. Truth Is A Misty Mountain (Live on "Studio GPR") (3:07)

Added: February 26th 2011
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Artist's Official Site
Hits: 2686
Language: english

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