Smith / Kotzen

Critically celebrated and rapturously received by fans, their debut 2021 album was nothing short of a hard-hitting masterclass in exquisitely rendered modern rock that saw the guitar-slinging legends conjure a heady dose of 70s-loving blues, rock and R&B for the 21st century.

Not wishing to leave eager fans hanging on for long, Smith/Kotzen would soon release their vinyl-only Better Days EP in November of that same year ahead of traversing the Atlantic for an electrifying US/UK tour at the start of 2023. The 13 dates would produce the Better Days… And Nights CD which added 5 ferocious live tracks to their previous vinyl EP and left little doubt as to the supremacy of their chops.

And now to the delight of fans everywhere, their newly announced follow-up, Black Light / White Noise sees the pair delving even deeper into their musical vocabulary, and from the moment opening track Muddy Water hits you with a massive dose of big-riffing swagger, it’s clear they’ve both got a lot to say.

Recorded at The House in Los Angeles and mixed by studio supremo Jay Ruston, the world’s first glimpse of album number two came in the form of debut single and video White Noise – a storming trip up and down the fretboard, and judging by the frenzied response from fans there’s a strong sense that the duo has hit another bullseye with their sophomore outing.

According to Adrian, that track is just a taste of the deeper cuts to come. As he explains, that distinctive Smith/Kotzen sound is the product of both a deep appreciation for the roots of rock and a simultaneous desire to bring something new to the table. Even better, it’s tapped into his deep, childhood love of guitar heroes like Ritchie Blackmore and Michael Schenker who first inspired what would soon become an illustrious career in six strings.

“We had a lot of fun making this,” says Adrian. “We’d be writing and I’d want something inspired by Gary Moore, and then it’d go into a more Pink Floyd feel – and Richie has these strong soul influences like Terence Trent D’Arby, so there’s a lot to dig into. Influences are what makes the musical world go round – they go through you and come out slightly differently.”

“Smith/Kotzen is all about finding common ground,” adds Richie. “Maybe Adrian will tend to go heavy, and then I’ll lean more in the fusion or funk or soul side of things, but somewhere in the middle is our sound: that heavy blues rock vibe that we really connect on.”

And as Adrian confirms, the songs that make up Black Light / White Noise were built from the ground up and with no carryover from their debut album or EP. It’s for that reason that their sophomore release feels like such a notable progression from those inaugural sounds and certainly nothing accidental about the way it’s come together.

“There was nothing left over,” says Adrian. “We're not the sort of team that will write 25 songs and then choose ten – we build it as we go along. When you get to five or six, we look at each other and say: well now we need a slow one, or we need a mid tempo one. We just went into the studio to build the tracks as we were writing them.”

And from the hard-edged immediacy of White Noise to the brooding balladry of ‘Darkside’ and the soaring sophistication of seven-minute album closer ‘Beyond The Pale’, there’s no question that Black Light / White Noise is an album of light and shade and – as is inevitable when this level of musical muscularity is involved – big flexes and even bigger fun. It does however beg the question of how two true guitar heroes feel about sharing the spotlight.

As Richie explains, it comes from strong mutual respect and admiration that the pair have for each other, and it helps that they get along famously. After all, Smith/Kotzen is a project that had its start as friendly jams ‘round Adrian’s house, and the duo’s obvious chemistry shines through.

“Adrian is very vocal about what he wants to hear, and he knows what he wants to hear,” says Richie. “That’s the good thing about working with him, because he’s very clear: ‘Richie, I love this chorus but this bassline needs something else, let’s come up with something.’ That’s the vibe: if we like it then our work is done. You don’t want to overcook things.”

“We’re like an extended family now,” adds Adrian. “We have a sound and a vibe and I don’t think many artists are doing what we do – sharing the vocals and the guitars – it takes me back to those classic bands like Humble Pie & Cream – which is not a bad place to start! Richie is really into lyrics. He approaches them like it’s a puzzle that has to be solved. So you get a song title, and he’ll ask, ‘how can we make sense of this title? We should make a song that sounds a bit tormented and a bit angry about social media. We sit around, and I think Americans call it spitballing. Richie does that well.”

It’s perhaps that shared commitment to the art of songcraft that gives Black Light / White Noise such a stately and sophisticated feel, and its references are like a who’s-who of the world’s greatest bands.

“I’ve always sang, and I’ve always heard melodies and this sort of passion to sing, but I’ve always wanted to work with someone who was a singer,” says Adrian. “Richie is just amazing – he sings, he plays, we had a jam, and we have a lot of things in common. He’s a bit younger than me but has a very good knowledge of music from the 60s and 70s, Bad Company, Free… stuff I grew up with.”

And it’s the same spirited sense of purpose that Black / Light White Noise establishes Smith/Kotzen as true masters of their craft. Deliciously varied, exquisitely composed and rounded out by a breadth of flavours that can only come with years of experience, Black Light / White Noise is a new sound with the depth of a fine vintage.

The full track-listing of Black Light / White Noise is:

1. Muddy Water
2. White Noise
3. Black Light
4. Darkside
5. Life Unchained
6. Blindsided
7. Wraith
8. Heavy Weather
9. Outlaw
10. Beyond The Pale

The album will be available in these formats: Clear, Splatter Vinyl (limited to certain retailers) / Black Vinyl / Digipak CD / Lossless Audio Digital