Formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 2000, Blackberry Smoke have made a solid name for themselves over the course of seven well-received albums (Holding All The Roses hit number 1 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart), and numerous globe-trotting tours. Fronted by Charlie Starr, whose honeyed vocals gives the band much of its charm, Blackberry Smoke take influence from a range of acts, with the obvious including the black Crowes, The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Govt Mule, while less obvious influences. Include the Stones and the Beatles, ensuring that the band have a refreshingly varied palette from which to draw. Be Right Here, the band’s eighth album, is a case in point, hitting all the usual touchpoints, but with enough variation to keep things moving along at a brisk pace.
Nicely raw and bluesy, Dig A Hole kicks the album off with a laid-back groove that harks back to the Black Crowes’ Shake Your Money Maker album. With its wah-soaked guitar, rippling percussion, and earthy vocals, it draws the listener in, before the band kick into a honeyed chorus that’s pure Allman Brothers. The band maintain that wonderfully laid-back vibe on Hammer And Nail, which has a nagging groove beneath its southern fried melody. As is to be expected, there are plenty of great melodies on the expansive chorus, and it’s one of those songs that you just know audiences will be singing out when the band hit the road. It’s back to Black Crowes territory for the swaggering blues rock of Like It Was yesterday, another song that is already daring you not to sing along by the time the chorus swings around. More surprising is the mild psychedelia of Be So Lucky, which takes the Beatles as its starting point, albeit filtered through a Southern lens, and the result is a solid psyche-pop effort that shows the band flexing their creative muscles a little. The album’s first half concludes with the acoustic shuffle of Azalea, a rather lovely piece that benefits immensely from the restrained percussion and gently picked acoustic guitar.
After the calming conclusion of the first side, Blackberry Smoke kick off the second side with the crunchy rocker (and album highlight), Don’t Mind If I Do, which not only kicks like an enraged mule, but is guaranteed to get the dancefloor rocking. Next up, the slinky Watchu No Good has a blues rock vibe reminiscent of the late, great J J Cale, especially in the delivery of the vocals. The acoustics come out again on the sweet country piece Other Side Of The Light, which offers some wonderfully understated slide guitar. Another album highlight emerges with Little Bit Crazy, which takes elements of gospel and elements of The Rolling Stones circa Exile On Mainstreet to deliver a brilliantly bluesy rocker, with plenty of soul, offset with just enough attitude to make things swing. It’s a cracking track, just as the album reaches its conclusion – with the alt country of Barefoot Angel. A warm ballad, delivered with panache and with elements of Allman Brothers and latter-day Soul Asylum written in to its DNA, it’s a fine closer, and it leaves you ready to listen all over again.
A short, snappy album, Be Right Here is varied enough to remain engaging, while the band have the experience to ensure that no tune outstays its welcome. The result is a beautifully recorded album full of Southern Charm and whether you dig blues, country, or just good old rock ‘n’ roll, you’re going to have a good time with this record. 8/10
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