Five years separate
Live On and its successor,
The Place You're In, and the time allowed
Kenny Wayne Shepherd to grow as both an artist and as an individual. He's not only writing the majority of his material, he's singing most of it as well. His guitar playing has become more nuanced, and he's moved squarely into the world of album rock from his blues-rock background. Even the cover and publicity photos reflect the difference, showing a darker, decidedly grown-up
Kenny Wayne Shepherd. In addition, the producer/mixing team of
Jerry Harrison and
Tom Lord-Alge (who did both
Live On and
Trouble Is) has been replaced by
Marti Frederiksen and
Andy Wallace, who give the album a more muscular sound. This album is tailor-made for rock radio with its big guitar sounds and recycled classic rock riffs, and
Shepherd sounds very comfortable in this setting. The lyrics are a bit weak in places, but most of the songs have solid hooks and fine guitar solos. There are some very nice touches throughout the album, like the backward guitar and restrained solo that appear on "Let Go" (which recalls some of
Steve Winwood's work) or the gospel backing vocals and excellent outro of "Hey, What Do You Say." "Ain't Selling Out" is a bit of a misstep: a forceful chugging rocker over a monotonous hook, and the
Kid Rock guest shot ("Spank") may sell an extra copy or two, but the song is pretty unremarkable. Overall,
The Place You're In is a solid album that shows
Shepherd continuing to grow as an artist, but whether he can develop a more personal voice remains to be seen. ~ Sean Westergaard