Slash ft. Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators – ‘4’ [Album Review]

Slash has been an enduring presence in the world of rock for decades; angering parents and corrupting teenagers with his equally infectious personality and guitar riffs, the latter of which distort reality with their very sound. Best known for his role in Guns N’ Roses, his career has seen the top hat-rocking headbanger tour the world and play with some of the greats with a high point being his debut solo record simply titled, Slash. This offering saw him collaborate with the likes of Lemmy, Ozzy Osbourne, the late great Chris Cornell, and the man still at his side, Myles Kennedy. Well, new album 4 is Slash’s, well, fourth record fully backed by Kennedy along with The Conspirators. (The fifth if you also count the aforementioned self-titled album.) Long story short, it is exactly the quality you would expect from this combination of musicians.

The opening track, “The River is Rising,” is the record’s first single and contains all the elements regularly released by the six-string master; It is an average-paced, riffed-filled, drum-banging rock n’ roll adventure with Kennedy narrating the journey. But song three, “C’est la vie,” is the very moment when the album really starts to shine (not that it didn’t before). Beginning with a riff that will make listeners salivate, the tune gradually layers in more and more until Kennedy slows down the tempo slightly as his vocals kick in. When the chorus commences, the song really makes its mark with its singalong nature and grandiose beat.

“Spirit Love” really stands out from the crowd with its opening riff. With a light drumbeat in the background and a sitar-sounding riff (that also appears at various points throughout the song), it builds the track’s tempo. Kennedy’s vocals hold the tune high ensuring that the funky nature of this song stays strong. “Fill my World” is one of the slower outings and channels the ’80s with its balled-like nature wherein Kennedy allows the romance of his lyrics to flow.

Honestly, every track on 4 deserves positive praise but, if I took that route, I would be detracting from the time you could be listening to this record and that is something, in good conscience, I cannot do. Now stop reading, hit play, and turn the volume to 11!

4 Track Listing:

1. The River is Rising
2. Whatever Gets You By
3. C’est la vie
4. The Path Less Followed
5. Actions Speak Louder Than Words
6. Spirit Love
7. Fill my World
8. April Fool
9. Call off the Dogs
10. Fall Back to Earth

Run Time: 43:39
Release Date: February 11, 2022
Record Label: BMG