It is difficult to put into words the emotions evoked by a new Walter Trout album. Inevitably, it starts with a look back to 2013 when, in the triumphant wake of the excellent Luther’s Blues album, it became apparent that Walter was grievously ill. Urgently needing a liver transplant, Walter found himself literally hours from death and, even after the transplant, he found himself having to relearn everything he had once known about playing the guitar. Few would have had the courage – or the strength of will – but, bolstered by the love and support of his family and loyal fans, Walter somehow found a way, and he has barely left the stage since.
It’s been twelve years since the fateful news first broke, and, in that time, Walter has released six albums – from 2015’s redemptive Battle Scars to 2024’s Broken – each one not merely a reminder of Walter’s exceptional talent, but rather more a showcase for the rich vein of humanity that has always underpinned his work.
Walter’s twenty-first studio album, Sign Of The Times is both a sharp look at the challenges and angst found in the world today, and a reminder that it doesn’t have to be this way. An album that is as raw and honest as anything Walter has released, the urgency of the subject matter drove Walter back into the studio less than twelve months after Broken and you can feel the nervy impulses raging through the ten tracks that make up the record.
The album opens with the rampant Artificial, a stinging rebuke to the seemingly endless march of artificial intelligence into every corner of society. As has ever been the case, Walter has a rare ability to articulate the anxiety that many of us feel, not only through his lyrics but through his finger tips, and the song is delivered with a gloriously grungy pulse that harks back to Neil Young’s Ragged Glory years. It’s followed by the crunchy, mid-paced blues of Blood On My Pillow – a track that is elevated by the power of Walter’s delivery and the frayed edges of his guitar tone – still wonderfully raw after all these years.
Having kicked the album off in high gear, you’d be forgiven for thinking Walter would be ready to slow the pace, but the stunning Sign Of The Times only ups the ante. One of the hardest edged pieces Walter has ever penned, it takes the ferocious power of Led Zeppelin and a chain gang pulse, wrapping it all up in contemporary ire to deliver something absolutely monolithic in its power. A show-stopping moment, it is a masterpiece, and it will blow the roof clean off the venues Walter hits later in the year.
Following so frenetic an opening, Walter and his band finally offer some respite with the beautiful, acoustic Mona Lisa Smile. Providing a moment of folk-infused calm, it has a gorgeous Appalachian vibe that nods to the likes of Tom Petty, while Walter’s voice is both lovelorn and vulnerable. It leaves the sprightly Hurt No More to wrap up the first side. With a melody that recalls nothing so much as mid-period R.E.M. covering All Along The Watchtower, it’s a memorable tune with some wonderfully understated lead at its heart.
Kicking off the album’s second half, the blistering lead guitars of No Strings Attached pave the way for a grungy monster that combines dense, heavy rhythms with processed vocals and a sense of lingering unease. Honestly, as much as blues fans are likely to see this as heresy, it’s a track that could as easily nestle onto a Mudhoney album as a Muddy Waters LP, and the rage with which Walter attacks it underscores the febrile atmosphere of modern-day America.
Once again leavening the atmosphere lest it become too dark – and let’s remember that Walter Trout may feel fear but he primarily deals in hope – I Remember is lovely, mid-paced blues rocker that harks back to a simpler time. It’s followed by ramshackle Hi Tech Woman, which pairs a Crazy Horse vibe with wry sense of humour, all the while keeping your feet tapping beneath the table. A song that’s guaranteed to bring a smile, it shows that the blues, even when dealing with the most difficult issues, never leaves catharsis too far behind – and Hi Tech Woman does a great job of finding a little glimmer of joy amidst the chaos.
Stripping things down to the core, Too Bad looks at the atomisation of society, Walter ruminating that “it’s just too bad about us” over an acoustic riff as primal as anything in the pantheon of the blues. Shorn of firepower, lines like “it’s just too bad that love didn’t last” hit all the harder, and it’s another example of Walter’s rare ability to select the right sonic tool for the job.
This dynamic album concludes with Struggle To Believe – a massive rocker in the Deep Purple mould, with Walter seemingly trying to foster a greater sense of belief through sonic might alone. It’s a blazingly hopeful finale to an album that deals primarily with the darkness that surrounds human interaction in the 21st century, and it provides a perfect example of the way music allows artists to both articulate fear and (at least to an extent), overcome it.
A genuine artist, for Walter it’s all about the emotion and, while he is without doubt a stunning musician, he never allows his skill to dictate to his heart. As a result, Walter’s albums are raw, deeply personal reflections upon his world, his unflinching honesty absolutely at the core of what makes him so very special. Reflecting the polarisation of society, Sign Of The Times may be a dark album, but it’s not without hope and, as has so often been the case with Walter, the sense that he too struggles with belief at such moments lends strength to those who otherwise may believe they’re battling on alone. 9.5/10
