Yogi Lang is the “L” in RPWL. As the singer and one of the main songwriters, he is very much identified with the sound of RPWL. His second solo album “A Way Out Of Here” (to no surprise) does not stray too far from the RPWL framework. To be clear, this album does have some moments that you haven’t heard on an RPWL album but you’d be hard pressed to distinguish. Since I love RPWL, I have no problem with that at all!
Add to this that Kalle Wallner, guitarist for RPWL, handles solos on two songs. His solo on “I’ll Be There For You” is one of the best he has done. Lang does switch things up by having excellent female backing vocalists and pedal steel courtesy of Klaus Reichart is just incredible. And THAT is how you know this is not RPWL.
Evenso, “A Way Out of Here” doesn’t sound too different from what Lang has done before and with good reason: it works. Why change it? One somewhat surprise is the instrumental “Early Morning Light,” which is one of the best tracks on it. Why surprising? Well Lang is known for his vocals so it’s refreshing to hear his music writing skills on full display. The song is big and atmospheric, and has plenty of melody even without a vocal line.
“A Way Out of Here” continues the winning streak of releases that Lang has enjoyed recently. The last few RPWL albums are some of the best that the band has done. “A Way Out of Here” is so strong that it does make me wonder if Lang needs the band. But Wallner’s contributions to this solo album make it clear that they are a formidable team. Yogi Lang proves his is more than just a frontman, he is a great talent.
Rating: 9/10
Tracklist:
1. Move On
2. A Way Out Of Here
3. Shine On Me
4. Don’t Confuse Life With A Thought
5. Love Is All Around
6. Freedom Of The Day
7. Early Morning Light
8. The Sound Of The Ocean
9. I’ll Be There For You
Label: Gentle Art Of Music
Release date: 8 November 2019
