Pinnick; dUg: Naked

If you don't know who dUg Pinnick is then take it from me that you've missed out on a huge array of awesome music over the years, with his main band Kings X being one of the most interesting, genre bending, yet insistently memorable and misunderstood hard rock bands the last few decades have thrown out. While his solo and Poundhound releases have also consistently hit the spot. However with the aptly titled Naked dUg ups the ante further. Not through even more genre challenging ideas and execution, nor through a huge combination of styles. Instead Naked is more about revealing the inner man behind the music, straight ahead (by previous standards) in musical ethos, but in lyrics laying bare exactly what dUg believes, feels and desires. For some the harshness and honesty behind songs like "What You Gonna Do?", which explains in stark detail that not all famous musicians are rolling in money, something brought into sharp focus by Pinnick's inability to pay his healthcare bills in recent times, while revealing in the song that he has had to rent out his house to afford to keep it, may be a step too close to honesty. Powerful stuff, but it is an ethos repeated through equally hard hitting tracks like "If You Fuk Up", "Heart Attack" and "I'm Not Gonna Freak Out".

Musically while initial encounters leave a strong but unflashy taste, a little perseverance actually brings through a thoroughly convincing set of songs that bulge with guitar goodness and groove galore. Heeding the insistent message inside the slip case of the CD that Naked is "Made to be played LOUD" also pays dividends, suddenly allowing the thunderous strike of "That Great Big Thing" to be a lethal dose of almost 70s Glam inspired groove, while the aforementioned "Heart Attack" positively thrums into being, before allowing clattering tom work to highlight the excellent unmistakable vocal delivery that Pinnick fans simply love.

The less varied attack however doesn't mean that Naked lacks for diversity, with the slow deliberation, scything guitar attacks and chanted vocals of "I'm Not Gonna Freak Out" taking no prisoners, the almost Soundgarden introspection of "Courage" slowing things down, while still demanding the attention, while "The Point" mesmerises and cajoles the senses through some sumptuous clean strumming and a bare vocal that oozes passion. However the album also rocks hard, with "Ain't That The Truth" thumping authoritatively, before "Take Me Away From You" focuses in on a staccato beat from where spacey keyboards add a whole new feel, a swamping chorus then rushing from the speakers. While the guitar solo on "I Hope I Don't Lose My Mind" is simply stunning.

Engaging from the off Naked is an album that may take its time to instil its full effect on you, but even first visits can't ignore the heartfelt honesty behind the lyrics, while repeat forays also reveal a set of songs with the power, passion and skill to live long in the memory. Not necessarily dUg Pinnick's best album (seek out Kings X for that), but undoubtedly one which defines the man behind the music and which allows us to get unusually and possibly uncomfortably close to what makes him tick. Which it has to be said is a rare thing and extremely admirable.

Track Listing
1. What You Gonna Do?
2. If You Fuk Up
3. Speeding Love
4. Courage
5. Ain't That The Truth
6. The Great Big Thing
7. The Point
8. Take Me Away From You
9. I Hope I Don't Lose My Mind
10. Heart Attack
11. I'm Not Gonna Freak Out

Added: August 16th 2013
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: dUg Pinnick on facebook
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Language: english

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