A vocal powerhouse proves legendary.
Industry veteran Mike Farris has returned to the scene with an album that blends out his prolific history in music, seamlessly transitioning between blues, country, and gospel. The album’s title alone pays tribute to those who came before Farris, referencing the famed studio in Alabama.
Those familiar with blues rock will likely know The Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies, Farris’ band that debuted in 1993. Since embarking on a solo career, Farris has seen critical acclaim, including a Grammy-award winning album in 2014. After seven years between projects, ‘The Sound of Muscle Shoals’ marks a glorious return.
Already, the opening track, ‘Ease On’, brings in timeless blues elements. Throughout the album, it’s clear that Farris understands the power of instrumentals and makes space for the band to shine through. Will McFarlane, Kelvin Holly, and Wes Sheffield’s guitars bolster Farris’ unmistakable voice as he narrates his past of a “deep South country backroad” where “Mama never told us we were poor”.
His cover of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ ‘Swingin’’ is certainly one of the album highlights – so much that, may Petty above forgive this – it feels and sounds like Farris wrote it himself. To make such a classic song one’s own using only a unique arrangement and voice is a testament to Farris’ talent. ‘Slow Train’ marks another tribute, this time to the world of gospel that has profoundly shaped Farris, both in music and his personal life. Having worked extensively with legendary artists like Stevie Ray Vaughan, the power in his songwriting and singing proves that Farris has persevered just as tirelessly and dedicated everything to carving out his own sound.
But despite the blues rock that dominates the album, the decidedly country song ‘Bright Lights’ suddenly emerges in the middle of the album. Complete with a steel guitar and a more stripped-back, confessional sound, Farris relates his struggles alongside his music career, including his challenges with addiction and the strength it took to overcome it. “I’ve been running these roads damn near all of my life”, he begins. “It took everything I had just to get here” may appear a plaintive refrain on paper, but Farris sings it like an award acceptance speech, triumphantly chronicling how hard the battle was won: “every mile can feel like a hundred”. The closing track, ‘Sunset Road’, pulses with the same affectivity, but with a nostalgia for the tranquility of childhood and the chase in finding it again. “I remember when I was a boy / I followed you home to worry no more” he reminisces, but later envisions an “unknown road somewhere in the night / Waiting for us to gas up and ride”.
It is easy for listeners to lose themselves in the sheer power of Farris’ vocals and the roaring energy the band and backup singers bring. Therefore, it is worth listening twice over initially to catch the lyrics and their connecting thread of Mike Farris’ past and strength prevailing.
