Turbulent Times (180 Gram Translucent Blue Vinyl)

"Captain" Kirk Douglas fell in love with the sound of a guitar on his very first strum years ago. Since then, he’s led a life fueled by the rock ‘n roll he grew to embody, serving as lead guitarist for legendary hip-hop group The Roots for over a decade and collaborating with a coterie of musical legends from Joe Jackson to Elvis Costello and more. But after two years of writing and recording a collection of his own tracks, Kirk Douglas comes alive on Turbulent Times, his first full-length solo release as Hundred Watt Heart, assisted by fellow instrumentalists Mark Kelley (bassist for The Roots) and Ricc Sheridan (drummer for Earl Greyhound). With the humble hope of relating to somebody, anybody -- “[This is] worth doing for that one person,” Douglas says -- he presents Turbulent Times. Across eight tracks, Douglas offers up chapters of his life. The music always comes first for Douglas, but he says that "the songwriting process is basically spending quiet time with yourself," so each pairing of music and lyrics has been carefully curated to Douglas' own experiences. Extracting the flavor out of fleeting moments that pass him by, he presents a selection of soul-deep songs thrumming with the classic rock Douglas handles with a combination of poise and power. "Whatever the music is making me feel, I’m going to write towards," he explains. "I’m going to write in that direction." The inspiration for Turbulent Times runs the gamut from life to death and the limbo that bridges them. On the heavy, raging "Uma," for example, the lighter side of life and love is explored through rock-drenched instrumentation. The same subject matter is broached on the album's conclusion "Our Year," though sonically, Douglas and the band step back from their electric ledge to deliver cinematic sweetness that spends its time swaying until it rises to soaring heights later, courtesy of steady percussion and Douglas' complex guitar work. On album opener "Turbulent Time," Douglas d