DOROTHY – Gifts From The Holy Ghost (2022)

The enigmatic neon demon vibe of her new album ”Gifts From The Holy Ghost” artwork may cause you to think that DOROTHY Martin has diverted from her trusted mainstream hard rock path heard on her debut CD ‘RockIsDead’, hinting at a more subversive sound. Well, not at all: beneath the cover you’ll find a hot-blooded rock’n’roll record through and through.
Along with the combined powers of Steve’s son Trevor Lukather on guitar, bass player Phil X (Bon Jovi, Triumph), Joel Hamilton (Mark Free), Scott Stevens (Halestorm), guitarist Keith Wallen (Breaking Benjamin), Brian Tichy (Lynch Mob, Whitesnake) and especially the legendary ear of producer Chris Lord Alge (who also play instruments) DOROTHY has crafted a rock and roll album to invigorate the soul.
The detail in ”Gifts From The Holy Ghost” is very notable but it’s warped by energy, fun and groovy impact. This isn’t a ‘downer’ listen, far from it, in fact. You’ll likely spend most of its runtime dancing and moving while singing along at the top of your voice.

With wide-ranging appeal, the pop sensibilities of Dorothy don’t overshadow what is a rock and roll album at its core. An album with wall-to-wall anthems. An album that has depth but is open-ended and allows the listener to imprint their own personalities on the subjects and themes in most cases.
Much has to made of the incredible vocals of Dorothy. With the argument that most of the impact of this album comes from her range, a fair one. It’s no knock on any other element of the music, after all, it’s the instruments that really give it the rock flavour. It’s just that her voice is so powerful, so heartfelt and so sincere that it’s where most of the attention gets focused.

She breaks out the “Big Guns” on the track of the same name, an urgent rocker that builds into a big anthemic chorus. Dorothy the band has a keen ability to tap into the authenticity of rock from previous generations while bringing a fresh perspective that makes it feel reinvigorated and new.
“Rest In Peace” is an urgent and raucous blues-tinged song that shows off the vocalist’s keen sense of melody and razor-sharp delivery.

The bombastic “Hurricane” keeps the energy moving with all the ingredients that make up a solid rock song. Much more ’80s-influenced than most of the band’s catalog, it’s over the top and a ton of fun.
The only true departure on the album arrives in the form of “Close To Me Always,” which trades in the classic rock for a pop-influenced modern power ballad. Piano, strings and some atmospheric synths and loops build the musical foundation of the track. Dorothy Martin again delivers vocally; especially in the waning moments.

High-octane rocker “Black Sheep” taps into some of the same energy that fueled the band’s debut album and offers a larger-than-life singalong quality. The track flows through its massive shouted gang-vocal chorus. “Touched By Fire” keeps up the bouncy swagger that builds around its memorable riffing. Martin sounds especially raw here, with the track closing out with a sped-up tempo and guitar solo.

On “Made To Die” the song trades in the fuzzed-out vintage guitar sounds for straightforward hard rock. Dorothy Martin and the band close out with the upbeat and lively title track “Gifts From the Holy Ghost.” The rousing number isn’t as heavy as the preceding material but it still packs plenty of immediate energy. The track is tailor-made as an arena singalong.

”Gifts from the Holy Ghost” is one heck of a rock and roll album. It’s modern female fronted rock but with enough classic elements to appeal to the 80s crowd. Ten anthemic hits that will excite a wide range of music fans and something that is sure to push the band to even greater heights.
Highly Recommended

01 – A Beautiful Life
02 – Big Guns
03 – Rest In Peace
04 – Top Of The World
05 – Hurricane
06 – Close To Me Always
07 – Black Sheep
08 – Touched By Fire
09 – Made To Die
10 – Gifts From The Holy Ghost

Dorothy Martin – Lead & backing vocals
Brian Tichy, Evan Frederiksen – Drums
Joel Hamilton – Guitar, Percussion, Synthesizer
Trevor Lukather Bass, Guitar, Synths, Backing Vocals
Scott Stevens – Bass, Guitar, Percussion
Phil X – Bass, Guitar, Backing Vocals
Connie Petruk – backing vocals
Chris Lord-Alge – Keyboards, Mixing, Percussion, Backing Vocals

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www.amazon.com/Gifts-Holy-Ghost-DOROTHY/dp/B09TRL682J