In 2019, Duff McKagan released one of that year’s best albums which happened to be his first solo release in 26 years (20 if you count Beautiful Disease which fell through because of a record label merger) with Tenderness. As he examined the problems the world faced as he travelled the world with his day job in Guns N’ Roses, it contains songs which are still relevant to this day with some being eerily prophetic. Now, McKagan is back with his third solo album, Lighthouse – now with only a four-year gap), following on from this year’s This is the Song EP.
Gone is the Americana/country/Southern tones from the predecessor and whilst the singer-songwriter element is still there with plenty of acoustic guitars to be strummed, there’s some meatier guitars in place. Whilst it’s not a full-on rock experience, the blend of subtle electric guitars and acoustics allow for a more atmospheric experience, but it still manages to pack a wallop in both the up-tempo numbers and the sombre tracks.
It’s an album full of introspection rather than pointing out the ills of the world, allowing it to be as hard-hitting as the last album. It’s a theme which starts with the title and opening track, a slow burner which opens up into a fully realised stormer of a song with a massive crescendo. It’s a subtle love song where the lyrics searches for the idea of “the one” who can be the shining light in the dark and stormy night without being a saccharine piece of slush. Meanwhile, “Forgiveness” examines that very theme – forgiving people, including yourself and the human race. It’s the song which runs closest to Tenderness with a subtle undercurrent of Southern twanging as well as hints of blues in the bridge. Moreover, it looks at the bigger picture much like that album did and it wouldn’t be a shock if this was originally meant for that album.
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Fusing every element of the album together is “Longfeather” to become the highlight of an excellent album. Bells jingle, guitars are punchy, keys are tickled for some extra texture, deftly winding its way around acoustic guitars. Whilst McKagan references Crazy Horse and Custer, it takes the notion of “Today is a good day to die” and runs with it. McKagan implores the listener to leave no stone unturned, to leave this world fulfilled and have a fulfilling life with no regrets. Despite the heady topic, it’s upbeat on a musical level and he’s managed to create a hell of an earworm to make it an uplifting song and encourage the listener to seize the day.
Elsewhere, McKagan taps into his punk roots with “I Saw God on 10th Street” and “Just Another Shakedown”. Constructed much like the title track, the former builds itself in stature gradually, not quite turning itself into the biggest track on the album but once the fuzzed-out guitar solo subsides and bolsters the rest of the song, it’s beefy in its own way. It presents McKagan’s idea of God – not as a guy in the clouds but rather He’s people watching from a non-descript place where He goes unnoticed. Meanwhile, the latter is full-on snotty punk from the 70s, evoking hints of all those who paved the way with a good helping of The Ramones as the ringleader. It’s a muscular “get in, get out, don’t fuck about” number which doesn’t even cross the three-minute mark as McKagan snarls his lyrics across the punchy guitar, the disgust and venom on display as he takes aim at the shysters of the world, whether they’re on the street corner or are the richest people in the world.
However, it’s at the end of the album where the true diamonds are buried (not that the preceding songs are dirt). The lament of “To The Fallen Ones” is pretty self-explanatory, with bluesy strains creating a wistful atmosphere, mingling with slide guitar. The guitar solo is a big, expressive, blues-drenched piece, reminiscent of Slash’s more sombre and delicate moments. But the man in the top hat doesn’t actually make an appearance until the following song, “Hope”, and makes his presence known from the second the track starts. It’s characteristically him from the off, blending sleazy tones his different 90s endeavours (GN’R and both iterations of Slash’s Snakepit). Working alongside the drums of Abe Laboriel Jr, they take centre stage on this number and whilst McKagan’s fellow Gunner doesn’t take a solo for himself, the song isn’t wanting for one. Instead, the symbiosis of finessed drums and guitar allow for a wonderful contrast against the solemn lyrical topic. There’s also “I Just Don’t Know” which has McKagan at his most philosophical and introspective with soul searching put front and centre. With stripped-back jangling acoustic work, there’s another guitar solo in there which is taken from the Slash playbook – it’s not him but his influence is all over it.
The album starts as it finishes with “Lighthouse (Reprise)”. Now reworked into a darker, twisted version, Pop mumbles the lyrics in his own tones, giving the words more weight. But as it closes, it becomes a stroke of genius because if you’ve got this album on repeat (which you likely will), it feeds perfectly into the main track to start the album all over again.
Duff McKagan could have quite easily come out of his new home studio with Tenderness II. Sonically, it would have worked but lyrically, it’d be a case of beating a dead horse or become an even darker record when you look at what the world has been through in the last four years. Instead, people will find themselves in Lighthouse. With a slick, glossy production without going too hard on it, the juxtaposition of his gnarled vocals add extra heft to the deep and authentic subjects, bolstered by the wisdom of experience. It might not have the swagger of Guns N’ Roses or Velvet Revolver but it’s got the earnestness of Loaded which combines with the thoughtful and deliberate songwriting. As his most complete album to date, this is the kind of album you listen to and do nothing while it envelops you. This is truly the next step forward for McKagan’s solo career.
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Header image by Charles Peterson
Lighthouse is released on 20th October
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