William Duvall is mostly known these days for being the vocalist in Alice in Chains, and he does a marvellous job at that.  Prior to fronting AIC, and filling the very large shoes of Layne Stanley, Duvall was the frontman for Comes With the Fall – a very underrated band, who released three very good full length albums, an EP and a live record.  Now comes his first foray into solo territory.

One Alone is a fabulous collection of singer/songwriter material that showcases William Duvalls superb vocals, and superior, yet understated, guitar playing – and the title is quite literal, as it is just him, alone.  All acoustic, and all fantastic.  It’s an album full of heart and soul, and one that goes great lengths to demonstrate that Duvall is so much more than just the singer of Alice in Chains.

From the opening moments of “Til the Light Guides Me Home”, to the closing number, “No Need To Wonder”, Duvall is able to incite a range of emotions from the listener.  There are somber moments, which are well suited to the acoustic nature of the music, but there are also a number of vibrant and uplifting occasions – with no added instrumentation.

Delivering such range with simply his amazing voice and an acoustic guitar, is a testament to the vast talents possessed by William Duvall.  I have long admired his work, but now, in the wake of One Alone, I rate him as one of the most underrated vocalists of all time.

Each and every track here, works extremely well together as one cohesive work of art, but each individual song stands alone equally well.

To break this record apart and create a track by track guide, would be doing it a disservice.  Instead, I’ll just say that this is the best 45 minutes listening experience I have had in a long while, and you should definitely listen at your earliest convenience.

If I was pushed into picking a standout track, I would probably go with the opening “Til the Light Guides Me Home”, or the exceptional “Strung Out on A Dream”.

9/10

Shayne McGowan.