Brittany Davis, a visionary artist known for channeling diverse musical spirits, has unleashed Black Thunder, her latest album, per spin.com. This fully improvised LP, born from a spontaneous 48-hour session at Stone Gossard’s Studio Litho, is a profound exploration of the generational impact of slavery and oppression on African-American identity.
Davis, who has previously collaborated with Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard in Painted Shield and explored various genres as a solo artist, describes herself as a vessel for musical expression. For Black Thunder, she joined forces with producer Josh Evans, drummer D’Vonne Lewis, and bassist Evan Flory-Barnes, with no pre-planned material. The result, released on Gossard’s Loosegroove Records, has been lauded by Gossard himself as “a fully realised, arranged, amazing story that was basically channelled through Brittany.”
The album is a powerful journey, punctuated by interludes featuring the clanking of metal chains and 250-year-old spirituals, amplifying the raw, unscripted music. Davis’s lyrics grapple with weighty questions about genetic destiny and self-acceptance, fueled by her desire to feel loved in her own skin. The prevailing free jazz sound shifts seamlessly from mellow, Keith Jarrett-esque moments to confrontational avant-garde intensity, showcasing Davis’s remarkable artistic growth. As she triumphantly sings on “All You Get,” “My evolution has not become flat.”
Brittany Davis will celebrate the album’s release with a show on June 17 at the Rabbit Box in Seattle.
•Featured image from left: Evan Flory-Barnes and Brittany Davis perform at SPIN’s 2023 South by Southwest showcase in Austin, Tx./Hutton Supancic / Getty Images for SXSW
