Album Review: Diesel - Let It Fly

Since his return to the Diesel brand, Mark Lizotte has delved back into blues, written some great rock songs and now blends his favourite styles into this countrified album. As usual, it's all about the guitar and the hooks, using his honeycombed voice to caress the melodies out of these mostly interesting songs. Let It Fly sees Diesel tentatively reach out to the country music scene, although parts of the album keep him in rock mode.

Plucking on a banjo helps bring out the strengths on Be Your Throne, a rollicking folk tune. It salvages the awful start to the album, Moneymaker, a terribly clichéd song that sounds like a bad outtake from an Aerosmith album. Possibly the best track here, Last Shower, is a wonderful song that shows Diesel can do restrained without sounding ridiculous. He is joined by Canadian performer Tim Chaisson, who brings a wistful charm to proceedings. The other highlight includes a duet on If You Let Me Give with Lila Gold matching Diesel's silky vocal.

There is no doubt that Diesel can play guitar and sing with a certain amount of soul. Ironically it's on the heavier rock tracks where it all falls down. The title track and Sound Of Guitar are awfully trite and lack the depth of an artist of Diesel's vintage. The good songs like No Time Tonight and the inwardly stretched Navigate are Diesel at his best. If only the weak songs had been edited out this would be one top shelf album.