In 2009, psych-rock band Radio Moscow released their second album, Brain Cycles, which took a more vocal-focused approach to songwriting than their first album. The aim was to really lean into an old-school psychedelic sound, and it paid off. One track in particular stands out on the album, but not for its vocals or lyrics.
“250 Miles” opens with warbling reverb, a bluesy hook, and soulful vocals. It has an essence of the blues-rock foundations that Jack White was building in his early solo work, but not as frayed around the edges. Radio Moscow keeps things tight, yet messy. A contradictory skill that creates a controlled looseness.
Nearing the halfway mark, “250 Miles” transitions into an instrumental track. In comes a guitar with a sound so sharp it could cut glass, plucking away at the soulful phrases. When they hit three minutes, however, all hell breaks loose. Here, we’re roundhouse kicked with the Millennial answer to “Free Bird”. A guitar solo that whines and shreds against a backdrop of chugging rhythm, bass, and drums. This is “Free Bird” for a new generation. Well, new at the time.
So what about a “Free Bird” for the new new generation? Where are the face-melting guitar solos of the 2020s? Keeping Radio Moscow forever in our hearts, here are three more modern songs with a southern-blues-rock “Free Bird”-style guitar solo.
“Afrique Victime” by Mdou Moctar
Nigerian guitarist Mdou Moctar’s 2021 track “Afrique Victime” is a prime example of the Tuareg guitar style, also known as desert blues. It’s a blend of classic blues and rock guitar with traditional North African music, creating something wholly unique to the Sahara region. This track in particular begins with some haunting, mournful vocals. But it transitions into a guitar solo that’s skillful and high-energy at the same time that it’s shredded and wild. With a steady, percussive beat behind it, “Afrique Victime” will open your mind to a world beyond the typical guitar solo experience.
“It’s Rough On Rats (If You’re Asking)” by Jack White
I can’t let this list slide without an entry for my favorite blues-rock guitar solo guy. Personally, I have my favorite classic Jack White solos (“Lazaretto”, “Sixteen Saltines”, “Ball and Biscuit”), but his latest album, No Name, had some excellent solos as well. “It’s Rough On Rats (If You’re Asking)” starts out rather unassuming, before jumping headfirst into jangly phrases and vocals. It often moves back and forth between these two states, setting itself up as nothing too special. Except, at two minutes, the guitar solo flays apart into something on the edge of uncontrollable, wailing through its notes. All the while, the rhythmic percussion tries to keep it in check, coming back in to bang out a stabilizing beat.
“Satan’s Sister” by Classic Traffic
“Satan’s Sister” is the closest modern cousin to “250 Miles” I’ve found so far. It opens with a rollicking classic riff and southern-rock drumbeat before transitioning into deceptively soft vocals. But the interspersed guitar solos throughout the almost three-minute track pull those vocals back from the indie-rock brink. Classic Traffic deftly handles spiraling scale sequences and a bright, loud squeal that sounds like it should herald the arrival of a local biker gang. It’s not quite as gritty psych-rock as Radio Moscow, but it has that “Free Bird” essence down pat.
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for iHeartRadio
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