Legendary blues artist Warren Haynes has released a series of hits throughout his career, and the hits keep on coming. Recently, Warren released his latest album Ashes & Dust. Accompanied by the band Railroad Earth, Warren’s album is filled with the sounds of blues and southern rock. Longtime fans will be excited about this new album and those who are unfamiliar may become new fans of his work.

The strings and guitar riffs in Is it Me or Is it You make it a soft and sweet melody. Coal Tattoo is upbeat and has more of a country-blues sound. The strings and faint strumming of the guitar in Blue Maiden’s Tale make it a beautiful and dreamy song.  Company Man has a rebellious, yet regretful theme to it. New Year’s Eve has Warren waxing nostalgic about the past. Stranded in Self-Pity hardly has a “pity” sound. It has an up tempo melody that fans will be able to dance to.

Glory Road is reminiscent of the days of the old West. Gold Dust Woman is a rock and roll-blues tune that is slower in tempo but enjoyable.  Beat Down the Dust is a little bit upbeat and has the sound of a rock and world music theme. The combination of the two makes this a track that stands out from the rest of the album. Wanderlust is a soothing track that is perfect to listen to when relaxing in the evening. Spots of Time has the cool sound of rock and blues mixed together.  The opening strings in Hallelujah Blvd sound as if Warren is leaving us in suspense, anticipating what his next move will be. Word on the Wind has a bluesy and country sound that the fans will absolutely love. The strings and vocals make this song exceptional.

The legend that is Warren Haynes is not a stranger to creating and performing amazing music. Having begun his career touring with David Allan Coe, he has continued to dazzle his fans with each note he plays on his Gibson guitars. He continues to excite his fans with Ashes & Dust and gives everyone something to enjoy. Whether you are a fan of blues, rock and roll or rhythm and blues, you might find yourself nodding your head to each soothing and ear catching tune.

Final Grade: A

About The Author

Lauren Beverly

Music Reviewer

I love to write and have been doing so since the age of eight. Fictional stories have always been a favorite of mine, because it gives me a chance to be creative and to express myself in a multitude of ways. On more than one occasion, a song proved to be the inspiration to several stories I have written. Believe it or not, some of those songs were on soundtracks! That’s mostly what I listen to, aside from hits from the 1950’s up to the 1980’s. I’ve learned that anything can be the inspiration to a story, even a poster from the 1990’s or a DVD cover.

I’ve lived in Upper Marlboro all of my life and spent much of my childhood watching cartoons of all kinds, and listening to my older sister’s cassette tapes. Growing up, I listened to everything Jackson related, Paula Abdul, Elton John, and even the controversial group Milli Vanilli. As a teenager, I continued to listen to old-school hits and that was pretty much all I liked, aside from listening to all of Michael Jackson’s music. To this day, I still love old-school hits. That hasn’t changed.

I own a variety of CDs from artists such as Styx, The BeeGees, Michael Jackson, Queen, The Yellow Submarine Soundtrack, and many others. When a soundtrack comes out, there will always be one specific song from that album that I’ll love. It never fails.

I’ve graduated from Bowie State University in December 2013 with a B.A. degree in English.

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