THE BLACK CROWES

Happiness Bastards (Silver Arrow)

Black Crowes fans have been waiting on new material from the Georgia band for 15 years, but after many lineup changes and reunion tours, this is the first set of songs to be released since 2009’s Before The Frost… Until The Freeze – and the band’s nucleus, the Robinson brothers, have certainly got something worth saying after all this time with Happiness Bastards.

That last album had more of the roots-rock feel we’ve come to expect and Happiness Bastards doesn’t stray far from the formula. But there is an edge to Chris Robinson’s vocals: a punky, almost Dylanesque delivery that gives more weight to the words than usual. Songs like Bleed It Dry sound like Chris really means it, and brother Rich’s guitar riffing has an energy and excitement that belies a decade-and-a-half of waiting for some studio time. 

Despite this, it does somehow take time for Happiness Bastards to hit fifth gear, with the second half featuring the better material in Dirty Cold Sun and Follow The Moon. But throughout, Chris sings of the trials and traps of rock’n’roll stardom with the wisdom of someone who has been there and done it all. Reflective, yes, but with more fire in the belly than you might expect.

words JOHN-PAUL DAVIES