Audio CD review:
Jonny Lang - Turn Around

Jonny Lang - Turn Around

Band: Jonny Lang Title: Turn Around Rating: Release Date: 19 September, 2006 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Intro 2: Bump In The Road 3: One Person At A Time 4: The Other Side Of The Fence 5: Turn Around 6: My Love Remains 7: Thankful 8: Only A Man 9: Don't Stop (For Anything) 10: Anything's Possible 11: Last Goodbye 12: On My Feet Again 13: That Great Day 14: It's Not Over 15: Outro

Editoral Review After 2003's Long Time Coming plunged the once-up-and-coming blues guitarist into more soulful and commercial waters, Turn Around completes the transition. The churchy organ that opens and closes Jonny Lang's fifth album reveals its direction. Lang is lyrically direct in his spiritual awakening, and the uplifting if sometimes pedantic lyrics make it clear that any vestiges of the teenaged guitar slinger that knocked out an impressive version of the lascivious "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" on his debut are far in the past. A few short leads aside, Lang shifts into full Stevie Wonder/Prince mode, but unfortunately without the quality material that made those artists' work transcend genre. With vocals that shift from guttural howls to sweet and screaming falsetto on tunes like "Don't Stop (For Anything)" and a penchant for oversinging, he's not aiming for subtlety. But there are some winning melodies here: songs such as "Anything's Possible" and "One Person at a Time" boast catchy choruses in a funkified, gospel-tinged, adult-alternative vein bound to appeal to audiences that lean towards obvious religious references in their music. This is a well crafted, undeniably heartfelt set from Lang, who makes it abundantly clear he feels his destiny is to make the world a better place through Jesus. It's a valid enough objective that doesn't quite connect with Lang's rather heavy-handed lyrics, affected singing, and derivative tunes. --Hal Horowitz .. You can see a complete list of all Jonny Lang discography, or go back to the Jonny Lang tabs