Turquoise

Despite the success of The Royal Southern Brotherhood, Devon Allman has recorded this song-oriented batch of tunes as his official solo album. Produced by Jim Gaines (Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Lee Hooker) and featuring Brotherhood drummer Yonrico Scott and Louisiana-based bassist Myles Weeks, Turquoise is a lean, mean collection that shows when an Allman foregoes the jam for the song, good things happen. The autobiographical "When I Left Home," with Luther Dickinson on nasty slide guitar, sounds like a classic tune that would've had an automatic place on rock radio in the '70s. A cover of Tom Petty's "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" provides a showcase moment as emerging blueswoman Samantha Fish handles Stevie Nicks' vocal parts and Allman tackles Petty's lines. The song's dark drama, rather than its innate pop hook, becomes the center and leads to a cathartic end. "There's No Time" nails a nightclub vibe. "Strategy" captures a late-night soul groove worthy of Solomon Burke. The instrumental "Yadira's Lullaby" lets the musicians get some playing time in, with sublime, understated results.