Legendary Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant and Americana star Alison Krauss have shared a new original song, ‘High & Lonesome’.
The new song is set to be featured on the duo’s new album, Raise the Roof. The new LP is a sequel to the pair’s first collaborative effort, Raising Sand, which was both a critical and commercial success back in 2007.
Raise the Roof is primarily composed of covers, as was Raising Sand. In that spirit, the first released song from the LP was a version of Lucinda Williams’ ‘Can’t Let Go’. Now, the duo are sharing the album’s only original cut, written by Plant and T Bone Burnett, the producer of both Raising Sand and Raise the Roof.
As should be expected, ‘High & Lonesome’ is alternately folky and old-school bluesy, featuring prominent foot stomps and reverb-laden guitar. Plant always seems eager to channel his love for classic delta bluesmen like Robert Johnson, an artist that he owes most of his career to.
For her part, Krauss is restrained to backing vocals, which is sure to delight Zeppelin fans who were less eager to go down another soft country flavoured road that Raising Sand revelled in. Still, it’s hard to argue that Krauss and Plant don’t have strong chemistry, which makes this song’s inclusion even more puzzling.
The reason why is simple: it’s a Plant solo track. If you take Krauss’ name off the marquee, her contributions could be filled by any anonymous backup singer. That’s a shame, because not only does Krauss have some serious pipes, but she has a unique edge that contrasts beautifully with Plant’s more weathered but still vibrant vocals. It’ll be interesting to see how the balance works out on the rest of the album, but if you’re a bigger Plant fan than Krauss fan, this is the song for you.
Check out the audio for ‘High & Lonesome’ down below. Raise the Roof is set to drop on September 19, where it might be in direct competition with Adele’s 30. If that turns out to be true, then best of luck, Raise the Roof! You’re going to need it!
