Richard Turgeon - Shungite

 

I'm a big fan of San Francisco's Richard Turgeon. We've covered a few of his albums, the last being his previous album, Life Of The Party. You can read my review here. He normally specialises in Pop Rock that treads heavily into Power Pop, but Shungite is a little different.

This is a crunchier affair. The riffs are just as great, but a little rockier. The albums does feel like a breakout from Turgeon to a more Indie Rock, slightly 90s area, although this is the 90s of the melodic, not the self reflection and woe is me that dominated the earlier part of the decade.

Fortunately, the chorus are still killer which will keep long time fans happy, but the different direction suits Turgeon well. The more balls effect is a bit more shake your fist affair than the previous tap your feet joy. The man has been let loose.

The best example of the new direction is Small Fry which is 100mph in your face excellence that changes direction at will without ever calming down. That can be contrasted to This Is The Last Song which is nearer to the Power Pop that Turgeon is noted for, a rockier version maybe with a killer guitar solo.

There is even room for a closer that slows things down with Deep Cuts that even sounds like Soundgarden when they calmed down a bit and the Guitar solo strips paint. The album is at its best when it keeps the gripping riffs of Turgeon's back catalogue such as on the title track.

Songs Of Discontent and Signs are other great examples, both opening with memorable riffs. Shungite is a cracking listen. As always, it is available on CD of the Kool Kat label with 4 Bonus Tracks. The whole thing is a celebration of the joy of the Guitar.

You can listen to and buy the album here. You can buy the CD at Kool Kat here.

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