Although Gipsy Lady is credited to Schenker Barden Acoustic Project, the album cover sports the interlocking MSG logo of the Michael Schenker Group, which is appropriate. Unlike the Thank You instrumental albums Schenker had done previously, he had original MSG vocalist Gary Barden (whom he had previously elevated to co-billing status on 2008's In the Midst of Beauty) set lyrics to his latest set of tunes to come up with this result. Barden, a gruff, expressive rock singer, doesn't seem to have spent too much time pondering the words, just writing down a line and then looking for something that almost rhymed. The result is some generic sentiment having to do with love, travel, and freedom. None of that would matter, of course, except that, as this is an acoustic project, the vocals are given greater prominence than they would in a hard rock context, making those silly words easy to understand. Still, what matters is Schenker's highly textured acoustic guitar playing, in melodic rock arrangements that recall Dire Straits and Jethro Tull. And when Barden disappears entirely for the instrumentals "El Grande" and "The Journey," he isn't missed.
© William Ruhlmann /TiVo