It was just after the Dallas International Guitar Festival in 2023 that I “discovered” Orianthi. The blues guitars riffs that rivaled the best I’ve ever heard anywhere. The sultry vocals that sit you down, pull you in and make you listen. The way she looks so at home when she does it all. Orianthi, Some Kind of Feeling; show me what you got.
Now I came into Orianthi with Rock Candy. Light It Up, Red Light, Getting to Me, Void – just fuck. This was a full wall of rock blues that set the tone unbelievably high. I mean, this is what blues rock and roll fusion was meant to be in every sense of the word.
So I do a hail mary pass into her past and dove into Believe from 2009 next.
I gotta admit a sense of WTF washed over me. This was about a 180-culture shock of styles as I’d ever felt or seen. But I gotta remember this is a huge gap in her career. What *is* the same?
Well, the pure talent. That’s there right off the bat. But it’s not til the 4th song I see a sense of what I heard in Rock Candy. Then we get to Feels Like Home and, there it is.
The instant blues guitar taking you to her introspective style packing up to go on a trip.
Given she’s spent time with rock legend Richie Sambora (love his solo stuff, btw; LOVE) I can see how she goes from pop to rock to blues to holy shit in Rock Candy. There’s a whole gambit to love with Orianthi, there truly is.
So, what are we getting in Some Kind of Feeling?
Initially, we scale back from the assault of the previous release and I’m sensing a blend coming at me. I don’t think I’ll see the wave after wave of rock blues progressions that dominated Rock Candy. (damn it but let’s see what we will get).
First 2 are nice, more along the older pop styles.
Hold up; hold up song 3.
There we go. That’s what I was hoping to *also* see and hear.
Sharp Dressed Man. Nice touch, young lady; well done. Very well done.
Now, at this point I can go song by song; but I never do that. You need to now sit back, put on her latest effort and find out for yourself how you think she did.
I don’t find the driving blues guitars of the previous release and I’m 100% fine with that. When I want to hear it, it’s right there in my collection, where it belongs. I want to hear more. I want to hear what she thinks, feels and writes about next.
In many ways, this a perfect representation of the growth through of her career. You get the younger pop hints. You get the deep blues coming out strong.
You get the driving guitars.
In the end, I’ll go along with Orianthi’s final song – Heaven Right Here.
Some Kind of Feeling, much like Orianthi’s career, has something fantastic for everyone. Looking forward to the tour and with any luck, score a photo pass!
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