BLACKBERRY SMOKE
You Hear Georgia [3 Legged]
lackberry Smoke’s latest proves that they’ve perfected a winning balancing act between their two chief influences, rock and country. Opener is a fine rocker. A lean, funky central riff and a muscular rhythm section set us off nicely, before Stonesy gospel backing vocals boost an anthemic, party-tonight, sleep-tomorrow chorus. Another up-tempo highlight is . Given the title, a classic high-octane stomper. Elsewhere, though, such as on the title track, the pace is more laid back. sees Nashville star Jamey Johnson take the mic. The folky guitar, is another down-home gem, offering choice cautionary lines such as ‘Don’t trust a grown man with a nickname’ and ‘Nothing worth a damn happens after two a.m.’ A few weak tracks means that this new album falls just short of being a stunner, but for the most part Blackberry Smoke have done Georgia proud.
