Perfectly acknowledging the whirlwind that inevitably happens when you're heir apparent to a litany of great bluesmen at the not-so-tender-anymore age of 22,
Davy Knowles chooses an album title that sums up what it's like to follow the frenzy with another great gust of compelling songs and exciting studio activity. It's hard to tell the Isle of Man singer/guitarist's story without dropping some classic rock names, since he and his band,
Back Door Slam, have played concerts with everyone from
the Who to
Buddy Guy and
George Thorogood and toured with
Kid Rock,
Lynyrd Skynyrd, and
Gov't Mule. While many wanted to share stages with this powerful vocalist and brilliant axeman, one legend went a step further. Harking back to his blues-rock roots in
Humble Pie,
Peter Frampton makes Coming Up for Air his first foray into producing another artist's entire project. The set gets off to a welcome start, simmering then explosive, with the
Clapton meets
Skynyrd-flavored midtempo title track and the poignant story-song "Riverbed," which are both potential old-school anthem jam-rockers. While
Knowles wrote these and a batch of other originals himself, his collaborations are noteworthy. He wrote the sparse, raw ballad "Saving Myself," a low-key ode to lending a helping hand, with Nashville songwriter/guitarist
Gary Nicholson, and runs the gamut from sensual and slow-burning to feisty and rocking on his two cuts penned with
Frampton, the moody, emotionally searing "You Can't Take This Back" and punchier, blistering guitar-driven "Keep on Searching" (which features
Frampton on rhythm and lead guitars and backing vocals). Duetting brilliantly with
Jonatha Brooke on her wistful, harmony-driven "Taste of Danger,"
Knowles also shows a penchant for the jazzier side of the blues, inviting
Christian McBride (upright bass) and
Joe Sample (Hammond B-3) along for the ride. Perfectly tying past and present together and bridging the generations between
Frampton and his contemporary equivalent in
Knowles is a sizzling cover of
George Harrison's "Hear Me Lord," a choir-infused prayer-anthem whose choir punctuates the message as everything builds to a scorching guitar battle -- as
Frampton comes alive and passes the torch to the new generation. Anecdotally,
Frampton also played on the original
Harrison track from
All Things Must Pass. Blues-rock fans of all generations will love this brilliant second studio outing from
Knowles and his slammin'
Back Door Slam. ~ Jonathan Widran