Given his unstinting schedule with Gov’t Mule (who themselves have released two albums in the past three years) and as a guest player for everyone from Dolly Parton to Edgar Winter to Blackberry Smoke during the same period, it’s little wonder that this Allman Brothers alumnus hasn’t managed to make a record under his own name since 2015. That time away from the solo spotlight seems to have allowed him to craft some songs of deep-pile quality here, though, and not just numbers built as instrumental showcases.
Til The Sun Comes Shining Through is an irresistibly seductive soul number accompanied by soft electric piano, while the funky roots rock of Terrified has a muscular punch. Go Down Swinging’s blend of gutsy, gruff white soul and ritzy horns echoes Van Morrison, but Haynes’ ego isn’t so fragile that he can’t allow Derek Trucks an opportunity to share centre stage with a roof-shaking solo on These Changes.
