14 years going strong and still the same members. That’s impressive. With only minor downs, Black Stone Cherry has held a solid quality musically since the start as well. So, when will this lot take the step that takes them to the next level then? I’m wondering because by now they really should be huge. But they’re not. Their popularity curve has been treading water for quite some time now and I can’t figure out why. Sure, the band kind of exploded with their two first albums but after that their popularity has only gotten only slightly bigger. Hell, they even had the slot as an opening act on Alice Cooper’s European tour a couple of years ago – at a time when they really should have been headliners!
Some might argue that their music of lately just isn’t good enough but I beg to differ. Only their third album Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea (2011) isn’t up to standard – without actually being bad – and a killer album like Kentucky (2016) should have taken them a few step up. The same with 2018’s Family Tree – a great album. Well, be that as it may, I’ll throw kudos to the band for not giving in and keep on releasing new stuff no matter what. I guess they’re big enough for their own liking and if they’re fine with that, well, so am I. It’s just that with icon after icon biting the dust, the world really need some new kings/queens-of-the-hill and I believe that Black Stone Cherry deserves to be one of them. Let’s see what the new album can do then, shall we.
Opening single “Ringin’ In My Head” bursts out in classic Black Stone Cherry style and sure bodes well for what’s come. It’s a mid-paced, edgy Classic Rock groover with a bouncy swing and some crafty, grit-laden guitars at front. It’s a fiery stomper that chugs off on a solid beat and on top a monster chorus which blends a powerhouse melody with a slight touch of poppiness in its hooks. Very good. Leading single “Again” is heavy and punchy yet holds a down-beat verse but the groove is direct and the beat is ballsy. Going for a rhythmic and aggressive vibe with electrifying guitars and crunch, the hooky chorus is also a bit more streamlined and flirts with Melodic Rock for more catchiness, I guess. It works but I like the verses better than the refrain.
“Push Down & Turn” is heavy and raunchy on a sludgy rhythm, making it fat-grooved and rhythmic, robust and head-bang friendly. The live-feel is intense and the whole tune is kicking and edgy. It’s a song about mental-health issues, close to singer Chris Robertson’s heart as he suffers from that himself which makes for a spitfire vocal-performance, very honest and real. Great tune. “When Angels Learn To Fly” is more of an uptempo, straight-forward Classic Rock track that also comes with some clear pop-hooks, keyboards and very direct and radio flirtatious melodies, especially in the chorus. It’s calmer and more smooth track, it’s really catchy and I like it but the going-for-a-single vibes are a bit too obvious for comfort.
Direct and rowdy, “Live This Way” does its best to be an ass-kicker deluxe. With a chunky rhythm, slightly funky and straight-forward, the tune brings on more organic live-feel. It’s a loud and simple rocker and very in-your-face but it’s also a pretty mainstream, standard one where the chorus never takes off and even though it’s ok, it’s kinda forgettable. Latest single “In Love With The Pain” takes BSC on a pop-ride, obviously written for radio and radio only. It’s an acoustically laden Bon Jovi meets Aerosmith pop-song in a Classic Rock disguise, very radio friendly with an instant hook. I don’t hate it but it’s way too Pop for this band and I instantly feel that they’re making the same mistake as on Between The Devil… – guys be yourself, this didn’t work then and won’t work now.
“The Chain” – not a Fleetwood Mac cover – takes us right back to the old days of BSC. It’s an energetic, hard-punching meat n’ potatoes Classic Rock belter, an explosive rocker, heavy as hell. It’s raw and edgy with a rolling groove and the striking refrain takes no prisoners. This is great. Speaking of classic BSC, here comes “Ride”, another fat-grooved, ballsy and tough rocker, a bit faster tracked and riff-happy than most on the album. The bottom is Classic Rock for sure but the bad-ass Hard Rock riffs even flirts with Metal and kicks up some major dust for sure. The intense heaviness seems to apologize for some of the previous, commercial songs as if they needed to show us that they’re still here to rock our socks off. The chorus is immediate and spot-on, just like their choruses were back in the good ole days. Great.
“If My Heart Had Wings” is a Classic Rock/Southern Rock fueled power ballad. It’s poppy and smooth but at the same time it brings on a quite chunky groove – and a massive refrain. One one side, the tune is more Nickelback balladry than BSC, one the other hand, it do sport the crunchy BSC sound of their previous ballads. It obviously has a lot of hit-potential which also makes it so clear that the tune is written for that purpose only. It’s an ok track but way too buttery and radio-pop mainstream for my taste. “Don’t Bring Me Down” is an ELO cover and I must say BSC really nails this. The tune has been given the BSC treatment, turning the tune into a crispy Classic Rock stomper with a distorted bass but melody-wise, they have stayed true to the original. Harder edged but with an enormous swing. Great cover indeed.
Some rowdy and raw Led Zep influenced riffing kicks “Some Stories” off the ground in a Classic Rock way. The over-all sound on this track is back-to-the-roots BSC, carried by a beefy rhythm with a spark and lots of perspiration coming out of the speakers. Here, the boys mean business and is ready to kick ass – and they do it the way they used to. Very good. “”The Devil In Your Eyes” is darker laden, laid-back and the verses actually leers towards Grunge. When the chorus comes in, the tune gets more upbeat and mixes in some BSC Classic Rock and some poppier melodies with a touch of BSC of old. It’s ok but also forgettable.
The closing track is called “Keep On Keepin’ On”. It’s an upbeat stomper where Classic Rock meets Pop – very radio-friendly and mainstream. That being said, all the pop-hooks and the frivolous melodies in both verses and chorus makes the tune an easy stick. There are some crunchy rhythms which the tune is built upon but mostly, this track sounds as if it’s aiming at getting airplay, very radio-friendly and streamlined. It must be said, though, that the catchiness is quite infectious and it’s hard not to like it even though it doesn’t really sound like the BSC I want. It’s good albeit pretty far from breathtaking.
To me, this album is an uneven effort and it sounds like BSC are repeating the mistake they made on The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea where they gave in to record company pressure. A part of me think that it’s an understandable move – the band hasn’t yet reached mega-band status and after a whole bunch of damn good albums they feel – I reckon – that they need to get more commercial to do so. Another part of me believes that this is the wrong way of doing so because the desperation shines through and doesn’t feel completely honest – this is what sell-out sounds like and audiences picks up on that. That said, it’s not the whole album, just a few songs and there are enough great songs on here but as a whole, this record is their weakest to date. It’s a qualified record but pretty far from great.
5/10
More Black Stone Cherry reviews:
Between the Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
Magic Mountain
Kentucky
Family Tree
Tracklist:
1. Ringin’ In My Head
2. Again
3. Push Down & Turn
4. When Angels Learn To Fly
5. Live This Way
6. In Love With The Pain
7. The Chain
8. Ride
9. If My Heart Had Wings
10. Don’t Bring Me Down
11. Some Stories
12. The Devil In Your Eyes
13. Keep On Keepin’ On
CD & Festival reviews 