Quinn Sullivan - Midnight Highway

by Lisa Torem

published: 27 / 5 / 2017

Label: Provogue
Format: CD

Third album from blues artist Quinn Sullivan, which shows off the seventeen year old guitarist’s technique and blossoming songwriting talents

Review

Electric guitarist Quinn Sullivan first got discovered at the age of eight by Chicago blues icon Buddy Guy. On his third album, 'Midnight Highway', produced by Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter), the now seventeen year old boasts some serious songwriting savvy and the ability to draw from a host of styles. That said, his originals, ‘Eyes for You,’ ‘Lifting Off’ and ‘Going’ illustrate a keen emotional depth. But the other material here is equally sharp. ‘Something for Me’ is the opener. It’s full of crisp, lush melodies and evocative keys. The vocals in the first verse are muffled, to create an air of mystery. By the second verse they are clearly audible, but then they return to the initial texture. The technique allows the instrumentation to shine. Right away, we discover Sullivan’s fluidity as an arranger, soloist and lead vocalist. ‘Tell Me I’m Not Dreaming’ has a more commercial vibe. His vocals are disarming and sunny. It’s a youthful and very hopeful ballad. Sullivan’s beautifully melodic guitar solo is smoothly laced between the heartwarming stanzas. ‘Midnight Highway’ takes its time; it almost simmers before it actually hits the road. “I see a yellow moon rising up in the Hampton sky/I hear the black waves crashing hard.” The lyrics incorporate all the essential senses. The strong atmosphere carries the listener magically through to the end of the journey. Sullivan takes some vocal risks in this country-edged ballad and it truly works. ‘Crazy Into You’ shows another side of this engaging artist. It’s a superb ensemble piece dotted with whimsical word play. ‘Eyes for You’ shows his folk sensibility. “I’ve got see-though eyes and I can see straight through…” The lovely harmonies are drenched in sincerity. On ‘Lifting Off,’ there’s definitely more of a sense of movement and free-flowing spiritedness. It’s very exciting when the band echoes the contagious central riff. ‘She Gets Me’ harkens the same endearing acoustic feel that we hear in ‘Eyes for You’. Sullivan’s folk style is as imaginative as his raucous blues/rock material. It’s amazing how much mileage the man gets out of the simple theme of ‘Rocks’. The essential theme boomerangs each time around. Sullivan’s convincing vocals are as impressive as the hard driving skeleton. ‘Graveyard Stone’ is bold, adventurous and delightfully cryptic. Hearing the percussion and wah wah bluesfully converse is an extra special treat. ‘Big Sky’ is an instrumental starring piano against a wild and ethereal host of electric effects which collide to form an other-worldly atmosphere. Perhaps the masterpiece, though, is Sullivan’s take on George Harrison’s chestnut, ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’. Sullivan took great care to instil plenty of passion into the blistering solo, the acoustic-based strums and the mournful message. Kudos to Tom Hambridge for encouraging such unrestricted reign. The album ends with another instrumental, ‘Buffalo Nickel’. It’s an extended solo which genuinely takes into account so much of this gifted artist’s skills and emotional templates. Quinn Sullivan’s new songs and covers are packed with great emotional depth and skill. ‘Midnight Highway’ is the living proof.

Track Listing:-

1 Something For Me
2 Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming
3 Midnight Highway
4 Crazy Into You
5 Eyes For You
6 Lifting Off
7 She Gets Me
8 Rocks
9 Going
10 Graveyard Stone
11 Big Sky
12 While My Guitar Gently Weeps
13 Buffalo Nickel