Myles Kennedy, 'Year of the Tiger': 2018 Rock Album of the Year

Myles Kennedy, ‘Year of the Tiger’: 2018 Rock Album of the Year

2018-12-21

Story by Anne Erickson

Myles Kennedy’s “Year of the Tiger” is Audio Ink’s 2018 Rock Album of the Year

When Myles Kennedy unleashed his debut solo album, 2018’s “Year of the Tiger,” the music came as a refreshing surprise. Not only was this Kennedy’s first endeavor as a solo artist, but it also featured the Alter Bridge and Slash singer playing a range of instruments, including banjo, lap steel, bass, mandolin and guitar.

Musically, Kennedy covers the gamut of genres, from rock to country to Americana. Thematically, “Year of the Tiger” is as personal as it gets. It’s a 12-song concept record inspired by the loss of Kennedy’s father when he was a child.

Kennedy spoke with Audio Ink about how risky it was to open up and get personal on “Year of the Tiger,” explaining, “You have to step back and ask yourself how honest you want to be. And at the end of the day, is this going to help somebody else? Is this going to resonate in somebody else’s heart and help them through some things? So, is the risk worth the gain? There are a number of interesting things you ask yourself when you choose to make something this personal. So, I decided to go as honest as I could and tell the story.”

As for the acoustic character of “Year of the Tiger,” Kennedy explained, “I think my initial interest in more of the acoustic element, especially pertaining to rock, would have been when I discovered Led Zeppelin. Everybody knows Led Zeppelin for their bombastic element, and there’s a certain riff element that was very compelling, but it was their acoustic side that I remember really gravitating towards early on. In particular, their third and fourth record- there are moments on those that were very compelling to me. I think that’s where it started.”

It’s rare when an artist steps out of his or her comfort zone to create something entirely unexpected, which is exactly what Kennedy does on “Year of the Tiger.” This combination of adventurous instrumentation and Kennedy’s raw, personal lyrics makes “Year of the Tiger” Audio Ink’s 2018 Rock Album of the Year.

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Anne Erickson

Meet the expert - Author, writer and editor Anne Erickson is a Detroit-based music reporter and radio host. She has written for the USA Today Network, Consequence.net, Blabbermouth.net, Loudwire.com and many more. Anne holds a master's degree from Michigan State University. Contact Anne at anne@audioinkradio.com.