Four years ago, the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band would sound fresh, intelligent and original. Now, however, the band sounds like it steals from the talents of musicians such as Tom Petty. Live On, their new album, seems to be trying for a folk-rock-ballad like quality, with an overuse of the harmonica-lead guitar combination. In most instances, this tactic fails. "Was," "Oh Well" and "Losing Kind" have the sound of recycled Bon Jovi B-sides. The lead guitar spurs the song's movement with redundant and basic chords, while the bassline is a simple mirror of the lead. Shepherd's vocals appear aimless, as if he is trying to establish an aura of a laid-back rock band playing over the loudspeaker of a busy restaurant.
Originality and good use of changes in tempo and key do emerge from the rubble. "Everytime it Rains" shows that the band is capable of funky, fresh guitar taps and witty, slapping basslines, while Shepherd's vocals are perfect for slow-paced, harmonica-wielding songs, as the Clapton-like "Losing Kind" reveals. But the traces of good musicianship, well-timed vocals and beat progression in Live On are dwarfed by the generic nature of the album. C
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