By Joshua Wallace
Blackberry Smoke have released their seventh studio album with You Hear Georgia following 2018’s excellent Find A Light record. But this is no seventh inning slump my friends. This is their best record since 2014’s Holding Down The Roses. I don’t know if the band was inspired by the thick humidity in Georgia, but this album is thick with riffs. If you have been waiting for the return of the riff in modern southern rock, Blackberry Smoke has got you. This album is full of good songwriting and it even has a couple of great features with Jamey Johnson and Warren Haynes. Let’s take a deeper dive into what makes this record great.
The album kicks off with “Live It Down” and from the moment you press play you know you’re in for a riff heavy rock n’ roll ride through the south. A thick and punchy riff greets you and has you rocking through a song about making the most without having much. The guitar solo on this one is short, but just enough to get you into it. I love the pause after the solo before the chorus kicks back in. Up next, is the single “You Hear Georgia” and it’s kind of the anthem for the record. This song features another killer riff that has a slower groove. I can hear this one being a live favorite for years to come.
“Lonesome For A Livin’” is a great country ballad that breaks up some of the more riff heavy songs on the record. Jamey Johnson is a good feature for this tune and his voice mixes well with Charlie Starr. If Jamey Johnson being on this record is one of your inspirations for picking it up, you won’t be disappointed. “Morningside” is a track that brings back a guitar riff as thick as the darkness the song is about. I love the lyric “I’m not stumbling in the darkness, I’m just waiting for the morning-side.” Finally “All Over The Road” is a fun rock heavy track that is one of my favorites on the record. It goes hard and heavy from the start and doesn’t let up. Even the mellowed out bridge keeps the vibe going before the solo kicks in. I love this song and it’s probably going to be a new go to Blackberry Smoke tune for me.
This record does not disappoint. Lots of great heavy southern rock tunes, thick riffs and good song writing. If you’ve been a fan of Blackberry Smoke over the years, or a big fan of modern southern rock in general, I highly recommend picking this one up. Blackberry Smoke has released what I feel like is their best album in years, and it’s an album that brings the rock back to southern rock in a big way. You Hear Georgia is out everywhere as of May 28th, 2021. You can catch Blackberry Smoke on tour and this fall they are running their delayed “Spirit Of The South” tour and I’m hoping we can have coverage of one of those dates. In the meantime, check out the band’s website for tour dates and all of your Blackberry Smoke merch needs.
Favorite Tracks : Live It Down, You Hear Georgia, Ain’t The Same, Lonesome For A Livin’, Morningside, All Over The Road
Blackberry Smoke – You Hear Georgia (2021)
- Live It Down
- You Hear Georgia
- Hey Delilah
- Ain’t The Same
- Lonesome For A Livin’ (Feat. Jamey Johnson)
- All Rise Again (Feat. Warren Haynes)
- Old Enough To Know
- Morningside
- All Over The Road
- Old Scarecrow
