Lighthouse [Deluxe Edition] in Bloomington, MN

Duff McKagan
's 2019 solo album
Tenderness
was a solid effort built on strong songwriting and surprisingly articulate social commentary. The set's thoughtful political stances and mellow country-rock underpinnings were about as far as one could get in terms of both quality and content from the wasted debauchery
McKagan
is probably best remembered for from his early days in
Guns N' Roses
. However,
made a case for the possibility that
Duff
had been a sensitive songwriter at heart all along.
Lighthouse
supports this idea with a new batch of well-composed, rootsy rock songs that still connect with
's punk rock spirit and benevolent world view. Recorded entirely at his home studio between 2019 and 2022,
prunes from more than 60 songs to present the 12 best. Despite having a lot of material to sift through, the select tunes make for a relatively cohesive album that's held together by straightforward song construction and consistent energy. There's a reprisal of the dusty Americana that made up the lion's share of
on tracks like "Fallen Ones" and in the soft acoustic balladry of "I Just Don't Know," which crests with a bluesy guitar solo from
Alice in Chains
'
Jerry Cantrell
.
's
GN'R
compatriot
Slash
comes through for another big-name guitar solo cameo on "Hope," a simmering rocker that holds the same kind of mysterious tension
achieved on their more adventurous material. There's a familiar over-the-topness to some of
, such as the endless building of the title track and the overly anthemic performances on "Holy Water" -- just a few of the instances when
approaches
Use Your Illusion
levels of overproduction. His songs have a greater impact the more stripped down they are, with the straightforward folk-punk narrative "I Saw God on 10th Street" and the
Replacements
-esque swagger of "Longfeather" being some of the album's most immediate and enjoyable moments.
Iggy Pop
shows up for the record's equivalent of closing credits, reciting the lyrics to "Lighthouse" over a spacey reprise.
picks up where
left off as a reminder of how
's songwriting and artistic voice are more intelligent than anyone might have guessed when he was playing sold-out arenas in the hair metal era. Those who are already fans of his solo output will be thrilled with how powerful and considered this new set of songs is, and anyone yet to tune in will be pleasantly surprised at his depth. ~ Fred Thomas