UNDER the radar is the perfect phrase to describe Chuck Prophet. He has been around for more than 20 years, first with American psychedelic band Green on Red and since then on 13 solo albums. But have you heard of him?
Probably not, which has to be one of music’s great conundrums. He’s a virtuoso musician and some say the best guitar frontman after Springsteen, but perhaps that’s a clue to his anonymity.
Night Surfer may feature 12 well-crafted tracks, but there’s not a solo between them. Instead this appears to be a template for Prophet and his uber-tight band to tear these songs apart live, in a manner they are begging for.
The stage is Prophet’s natural habitat and for all this album’s promise, surely one blistering solo wouldn’t have been too much to ask. Listening to Night Surfer will make these songs more recognisable Prophet’s concerts, but a bit of fretwork could have made it so much more.
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