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Duran Duran Guitarist Uses Downtime to Explore Pop, Blues & Soul.

13/6/2021

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Duran Duran guitarist Dom Brown has used his enforced downtime to get to work on a new solo set, one which has been informed, for the most part, by the lockdown. Roping in a brace of his co-Duran collaborators, ‘In My Bones’ is “a journey”; both lyrically and musically, perusing the avenues of pop, soul, blues and gospel.
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Dom Brown may not be a name that is widely known outside of music session circles, but you’d doubtless know his work. In demand as a producer, writer and musician, the Rockwood Studios owner has been with Duran Duran for almost a decade and a half, working as their touring guitarist and contributing to their last three albums including 2017’s ‘Paper Gods’. He’s also worked with, among others, Elton John, Take That, and Rod Stewart.  

One listen to ‘In My Bones’, his first solo set in eight years and it’s clear that Brown’s time with some of the most respected tunesmith’s in music has rubbed off on him. Informed, in part at least by the effects of the 2020 / 2021 lockdowns, Dom has called the album “a journey”; one about; “rediscovering yourself, and being positive”. Lyrically, this is more than evident, exploring themes of isolation, alienation, and acceptance, but from a musical standpoint, the album also stops off in various territories too; taking in pop, soul, gospel, and blues.  

It all kicks off with the gloriously bombastic ‘Mercury Ascending’. Infectious in its melody on both guitar and vocals, it’s dripping with pop sensibilities, and it’s easy to see why it’s Simon Le Bon’s favourite track on the album.
It’s a real earworm, and one of only a brace of tracks – the other being the sexy ‘Baby Don’t Worry’ – where Dom simply lets loose and has fun without adding too much weight to the message.

However it’s an album constructed in troubled times, and there’s more depth elsewhere, starting with track two; the gospel-heavy ‘Ripples in the Water’. A swipe at "certain American presidents who are no longer in office", the slow desert blues is lifted by the ferocious pipes of fellow Duran bandmate Anna Ross, who lets loose on backing vocals. 

Anna‘s sultry tones in fact, appear multiple times throughout, and she’s joined by Jessie Wagner for album highlight ‘Whisper to the Wise’. An emotive torch song in the vein of Coldplay’s ‘Fix You’, it’s not just the backing vocalists that shine, however. Showing off the lower register of his range, Dom’s voice ebbs and flows, almost as much as his tasteful guitar soloing.
 
‘Where You Gonna Run To?’ meanwhile, arrives perfectly placed midway through, and changes pace, stripping things right back, and with its lazy, hazy vibe. Reminiscent of 90s’ Aerosmith – particularly on the Joe Perry-esque solo – it’s the most soulful track on the album.

Touching on various emotions, 'In My Bones' is an album that rises and falls. Ending on a positive note, ‘Leap of Faith’ however, offers hope with its lifting chorus and message of acceptance, before the closing ‘Let it Wash Away’ brings the journey to an end on an upbeat note.

Dom gets back to his day job - pandemic permitting - when Duran Duran return to the stage in 2022, with dates at London’s Hyde Park, Dublin’s St Anne’s Park, and a host of others. In the meantime, ‘In My Bones’ is a fantastic listen. 

‘In My Bones’ is available now from Dom’s Website.
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