Alice In Chains’ Jerry Cantrell has released his first solo material since 2002’s double album ‘Degradation Trip.’ And while that album covers a multitude of different sounds. Ranging from the beautiful balladry of ’31/32′ to the mega heaviness of ‘Spiderbite,’ ‘Degradation Trip’ displayed an entire landscape of what Jerry Cantrell could do. However, his new solo outing, ‘Brighten’ harkens back to the mellow days of Cantrell’s first solo album ‘Boggy Depot.’ But with a modern freshness that’s kept post Staley, Alice in Chains relevant and strong.
‘Brighten’ fits right along as a mostly acoustic counterpart to the last three Alice in Chains albums. Which actually contain some of Cantrell’s heaviest writing he’s ever done. But this time around, tracks like ‘Prism of Doubt’ and ‘Siren Song’ contain intense amounts of signature Jerry Cantrell melodies. While maintaining a fresh vibe that keeps his music timeless. The opening track, ‘Atone’ retains a classic Alice in Chains sound. While maintaining an original, tribal drum beat that keeps a dark, familiar vibe. The title track is perfect Cantrell, very reminiscent of the song ‘Voices,’ from 2013’s ‘The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here.’ ‘Had to Know’ follows in the same vein a few tracks down. It’s a timeless sound that remains strong.
‘Black Hearts and Evil Done’ brings in the country and southwest vibes. Something that Cantrell is underrated and truly gifted at. It tugs at the heartstrings and makes you want to just sit on a back deck in the middle of nowhere. Chillin’ and feeling the song. ‘Nobody Breaks You’ has an iconic chorus on its hands. An earworm singalong that fits perfectly within the Cantrell landscape. The album closes with the familiar sounding track entitled ‘Dismembered.’ Like much of the album, it’s a high quality extension of what Jerry Cantrell has been writing in the past ten or so years. The final two minutes are dedicated to the emotional, almost Victorian sounding ‘Goodbye.’ The short track is one of the most original of all of Cantrell’s work.
Overall, ‘Brighten’ hits all the spots that one would expect from a Cantrell or AIC record. Yes, this time around it’s a mostly acoustic fare. But frankly, a record like this from Jerry Cantrell was overdue. It’s the next logical step in what he does. A solid effort from top to bottom. What else do you expect?
