Nonesuch/Warner Bros. RecordsRobert Plant‘s latest solo album, Carry Fire, was released today. Like his previous studio effort, 2014’s Lullaby and…The Ceaseless Roar, the new collection of tunes was recorded by the Led Zeppelin singer’s current band, The Sensational Space Shifters, and blends such genres as British folk, American blues, West African music, classic rock ‘n’ roll, modern rock, electronica and psychedelia.
Plant tells Entertainment Weekly that working with his eclectic group has “been a great adventure and a departure for me.” He explains that some songs were put together in a traditional manner, collaborating with the group’s members in a band setting, while others were built around sonic loops created by the Space Shifters’ John Baggott, who previously worked with Massive Attack.
The magazine points out that, perhaps uncharacteristically for Plant, a few tunes on Carry Fire — “Carving Up the World Again…a wall and not a fence,” “New World…” and “Bones of Saints” — feature some political themes, such as immigration and imperialism.
“They’re universal issues that have no particular time of beginning and don’t look like they’re ever going to end,” the 69-year-old singer notes. “They’re the events of our time, but they’re the events of our forefather’s time. You can’t ignore them. You can only comment on them.”
Carry Fire also includes a cover of the 1958 Ersel Hickey song “Bluebirds over the Mountain” that features guest vocals by The Pretenders‘ Chrissie Hynde.
Plant tells Entertainment Weekly that when he was recording the track, he realized it could use a harmony, so he asked Hynde if she would sing on the tune and sent her a demo.
“She was really, really positive and enthralled,” recalls Plant. He describes his collaboration with Hynde as “a sort of psychedelic Sonny & Cher.”
Here’s the full Carry Fire track list:
“The May Queen”
“New World…”
“Season’s Song”
“Dance with You Tonight”
“Carving Up the World Again…a wall and not a fence”
“A Way with Words”
“Carry Fire”
“Bones of Saints”
“Keep It Hid”
“Bluebirds over the Mountain”
“Heaven Sent”
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