Ally Venable : Heart of Fire Review

Texas guitar slinger Ally Venable is back with her fourth album titled Heart Of Fire on Ruf Records. The album contains eleven tracks that feature originals by the singer, songwriter, and guitarist, as well as covers. The album was recorded at Blue Studio in Stantonville, Tennessee, with producer Jim Gaines. Venable speaks about the album, “On this album, I really wanted to create a tone of overcoming your struggles and persevering through them.” She further says, “My vision was to really spread a positive message of love.” She continues, “The world needs that right now.” Special guests include Rick Steff, keyboards on “Played The Game,” Kenny Wayne Shepherd, lead guitar on “Bring On The Pain,” and Devon Allman, lead guitar, and background vocals on “Road To Nowhere.”

“Road To Nowhere” features Venable’s songwriting, guitar playing, and lyrics. Devon Allman handles the lead guitar on this selection with style and that Southern Rock sound that he is famous for. The lyrics build a story, and the band creates a bluesy easy-going Southern Rock feel. Allman and Venable sing together for the chorus, and Allman takes a wonderful solo, bringing this gem of a song to a new level.

Venable not only has clever songcraft on Heart Of Fire but her arrangement of Bill Withers’ “Use Me” is fresh and creative. The riff and feel are unique and sounds like a mix of classic rock meets the blues. Venable’s guitar playing is stunning, and she shows why she has been winning guitar competitions since a young age. The instrumentation is unique too.

Heart Of Fire is another strong outing for this young blues phenomenon, and she shows that her talent is far-reaching with an album of various styles, tempos, feels, and serious guitar playing. Based on the songwriting and performances, it is clear that this is the work of an inventively aligned musician on the path to great things.

Ally Venable: Website