It’s not unusual for a band to evolve over fifteen years of existence. In fact, it’s usually vital for a band to evolve over such a long period of time if they don’t want to simply crash and burn. Through the changes, they loose some fans, find some new ones and hopefully keep a vision and develop a sound that remains coherent. For a couple of years after Bobby Sheehan’s death, I really thought that BT were done for, not because I felt that the bassist was irreplaceable (as some fans apparently did) but simply because they didn’t seem to know where they were going anymore.
There is no doubt that the Blues Traveler of today is not the Blues Traveler of yesterday. The jamband tendencies that were audible in the first few albums are mostly gone, and even though the new songs stretch longer in the recent live release What You and I Have Been Through, it’s still not the full-blown jamming of the nineties as exemplified in Live from the Fall. The quirky, youthful feel that transpired in the early days has also been toned down, although it’s not completely gone. To some of the early fans, these are signs that Blues Traveler itself has lost it. Until recently I would have had to agree with them. I wasn’t impressed by Bridge, although the circumstances around the album’s inception excused a lot, but more importantly, I was pretty much disappointed in What You and I Have Been Through, and live albums, to me, are the true measure of a band.
Truth Be Told, the latest Blues Traveler studio album has made me change my mind. It hasn’t dethroned my favourite BT studio album, Four, but it comes close, even though it’s very different in feel. Four to me, is the studio album in which BT has the most coherent sound. Before that, they were a bit too wild for coherence, and after that, they started experimenting with a new sound that never really got nailed down. Truth Be Told also has a strong, coherent sound, albeit very different.
There has always been a friendly, pop edge to Blues Traveler, and that’s still there. None of the songs are insanely out there and you could imagine hearing most of them, if not all of them on radio. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, and unlike Bridge, Truth Be Told doesn’t sound like it was designed for radio airplay. Blues Traveler on this album are a confident funky rock band, and more importantly, they are a band again. They’re working together and you can feel it. New bassist Tad Kinchla and keyboard player Ben Wilson are now fully integrated in the sound, and they contribute to this new sound rather than perpetuate an old sound that wasn’t their own. Additionally, guitarist Chan Kinchla who was always a bit disconnected in my opinion seems more together with the band now.
The record starts with a couple of rockers including the excellent Eventually built on a catchy yet odd guitar riff. This is where Popper demonstrates that his harp playing has also evolved. It’s less rushed and manic, capable of more nuances. His solo here is very relaxed and ends with him repeating the first line of the chorus’ melody with a great upper end vibrato. Very powerful, but without the furiousness that previously seemed unavoidable. And this is another good surprise of this album. Popper seems to have resumed pushing the envelope as a harmonica player, and with this comes a greater musical maturity. Here and there he still lets it rip, but it’s now a lot more efficient, because it stands out.
Following eventually is a ballad called Sweet and Broken. Blues Traveler have often been guilty of leaning way too far in smooch territory when writing and playing ballads, but this one keeps enough of a rock edge not to sound too corny. Popper’s harp solo is light and pretty. Nice. My Blessed Pain, which follows, epitomises the funky rock sound I was talking about. The bass and guitar are definitely funk, but the choruses are slightly heavier, with more of a rock feel. Incidentally, Ben Wilson contributes very tasty piano accompaniment here, and the guitar and drums break over the third verse is the kind of thing that really wakes you up when listening to an album. Again, great stuff.
And that’s what most of the album is like. Good, solid, friendly rock, with quality lyrics and a tight band that knows what it’s doing and does it well. The sound they aim for is perhaps less crispy than it used to be (lots of guitar fuzz and similar effects on the harmonica) but it works well. Less individual soloing and more thought-out arrangements. So I would have liked a little more edge and maybe a little more jamming, but on the whole, I cannot but appreciate. Blues Traveler is a band again, and I hope they do good with this new lease on life.
They could start by touring Europe, at last. That’s be nice, I’d be able to see how this new sound stands live. Mind you, there’s a new DVD out as well. I might have to check that out. I’ll let you know !
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