Never was an album so well titled; In the course of the first two songs on his new solo album Richie Kotzen takes in about eighty six different musical styles and moods in less than eight minutes, never staying in the same place for very long, just like a ‘real nomad… Of course many artistes like to show off their ‘eclectic’ nature by doing this, but few manage to maintain the levels of clear-headed coherence that Kotzen does on Cheap Shots and These Doors, the two tracks in question; He takes just what he needs from any given style or genre, knowing instinctively where and how to place it in the bigger picture. The result is breathtaking.

Insomnia is a bit simpler; If the first two tracks see Kiss and Steely Dan being the major recipients of Kotzen’s remake/remodel ethos, Insomnia is pure Prince, four and three quarter minutes of funk rock nirvana that’ll have the gossebumps up and about all over your carcass if this style of music is ‘your bag’. The solo at the end, in particular, is absolutely stunning, and this is a track that you’ll be returning to again and again, let me tell you…

The album’s set piece, Nomad, features otherworldly musicianship – i’d call it jazz-grunge if pushed, but that absolutely doesn’t do it’s genius justice – with some of the wall bass work underpinning the madness. Seeing the word jazz attached to anything generally has me heading for the attic in search of my old Tigertailz albums, but here… let’s just say Kotzen could play the entire Al Di Meola songbook on that old telecaster and hold me completely spellbound. The man is utterly mesmerising.

Escape is a rumbling exercise in dark, sinister pop-tinged rock, On The Table a rollin’ and tumblin’ riffer that features one of the best choruses on the album; Wherever you care to look (or, perhaps more appositely, listen) this is an album ram-jammed with things that are going to delight, whether it be a clever lick, an impossible to miss hook or, more usually, just a whole damn song. Kotzen’s talent is gargantuan, of that there can surely be no doubt, but it’s rare that an album so consistently blows the mind with such an apparently simple modus operandi – one man and his guitar – as Nomad.

Acoustic ballad This Is A Test is the most simple thing here, but even this is a consumate, best in show example of the genre, and Kotzen gets the jazziness back into closing stormer Nihilist to round one of the most remarkable albums of 2024 out in an explosive manner. Seventies soul meets progressive rock might not be the sound you thought you were looking for, but Nihilist might just change your mind…

Great stuff, then, and album of the year accolades must surely be just around the corner for Nomad. Stupendous.

Nomad is out now.