The listener is invited to hear something important. Whether it’s Alice In Chains staples such as Rooster, Down In A Hole or Would?, Cantrell is a master of wrapping up emotional weight in song. It’s true that there is an indeterminable depth to Cantrell’s work. “I like playing with those elements, because everything isn’t a total bummer. We do agree, however, on the album’s upbeat tone: “I think there is an upbeat energy, but there’s always shades of light and dark in my music,” he says. I don’t go in trying to make any sort of record other than what it wants to be”, he says. “I think you can hear that part of my make-up all through Alice. “Maybe to somebody on the outside, but it doesn’t sound any different to me,” he counters.
Speaking to Cantrell from Los Angeles, we put it to him that this is the first time he’s embraced these influences on such a large scale. He’s also said that Brighten offers glimpses of not only what he grew up on, but what continues to inspire him today. He was raised by two country fans and grew up listening to the genre. This cinematic twang lends itself nicely to barren landscapes where tumbleweeds dance and bones coat the earth.īut this isn’t uncharted territory for Cantrell. Its rolling drums and stark guitars could soundtrack any Spaghetti Western. Lead single and album opener Atone is the first example. Where Alice In Chains gravitate towards sludgy, doom-infused riffs that envelop and constrict (Cantrell’s debut solo outing was even called Boggy Depot), Brighten relies on open space. To put it another way, Brighten sounds like Cantrell has swapped the swamp for the desert.