Some old-timey Blues Traveler

With their new effort, Blues Traveler keeps consistent with the pop-rock genius that made them great. Dan Nied chimes in with a review.

Blues Traveler
Truth Be Told
Sanctuary Records
Grade: B

By Dan Nied [send email]

To say the least, Blues Traveler’s star has fallen in the last five years.

After 1995’s smash hits "Runaround" and "Hook," and a ubiquitous album that infiltrated CD players of real music fans, young and old, the blues rock band became known more for portly lead singer John Popper than its ability to write infectious, integral pop tunes.

Such is life for a band whose music translates 10 times better live than on CD. (That is more a testament to Blues Traveler’s live shows than its inability to create a listener-friendly album. On all accounts, BT’s studio work has been splendid, but you can’t say enough of their “grab-you-by-the-balls-and-swing-you-around-for-three-hours shows.)

Anyway, after the success of "Four" and the follow-up “Straight On ‘Till Morning (which hit No. 11 on the Billboard Charts) Blues Traveler went into a long depression. Bass player Bobby Sheehan died of a drug overdose, Popper nearly ate himself into a coffin before getting gastric bypass surgery and losing 200 pounds. Two new members were added (Tad Kinchla on Bass and Ben Wilson on keyboards) and the comeback album “Bridge” was released in 2001.

Despite having Blues Traveler’s best song, the inspired “Pretty Angry” -- Popper’s inspiring tribute to Sheehan -- “Bridge” proved to be something of a failure. After selling only 100,000 copies, the band was dropped by A&M records and left to fend for itself in a music world that doesn’t appreciate the past, but looks toward a teenybopper future.

Earlier this year, the band was signed by Sanctuary Records and released their seventh studio album “Truth Be Told” Tuesday.

And that pretty much brings us up to date.

Even after Sheehan died, Blues Traveler kept being Blues Traveler: a quality so unique to the music world that they looked something of a rock dinosaur when “Bridge” was released without a two-and-a-half-minute love song.

That mentality stays strong on “Truth”. The songs are largely smoother (a result of the new members of the band meshing better with the old ones) and the inspiration is something to behold. While the ass-kicking potential that was found on their first four albums is missing, it shows a progression in songwriting throughout the band. “Truth” fades into the background beautifully and awakens listeners in poignant stanzas and impressive compositions. It won’t challenge for record of the year but it will make you realize why you liked this band in the first place. Simply put, they are good.

Popper’s harmonica, which was a potential road block on earlier albums, is used sparingly and effectively on “Truth”. For the first time, his main instrument is a bellowing voice that commands respect.

Where Popper was the main songwriter for every other album, he has written music for only five of the "Truth's" 12 tracks. It is a gutsy move to put Popper’s brilliant pop-writing skills on the back burner, but other band members such as guitarist Chan Kinchla and bassist Tad Kinchla keep the album moving with a series of bluesy pop tunes.

In all, “Truth” keeps the mold with what Blues Traveler is: an aging band that knows how to write and play. Their popularity won’t soar to new heights with this album (on the radio music regard, they have already jumped the shark)
but they prove why their style has worked for them for the last 15 years.

But can we really capture this album with only a few words? Here is a track by track rundown:

Unable to get Free: One of the sharpest choruses in the band’s catalog. A catchy and energetic refrain starts this album off with a bang.

Eventually (I’ll come around): A pure blues song penned by Chan Kinchla. But even with Kinchla’s musical credit, this brooding song recalls Popper’s 1999 solo record “Zygote”. It isn’t what we’re used to from Blues Traveler and drags a little ass. Still, Popper’s vocals shine here.

Sweet and Broken: Popper wrote this one with Spin Doctor’s front man Chris Barron. It is a perfect love song that showcases Popper’s abilities to perfectly balance lyrics and melody. The line “If the words were spoken/They’d shatter on the floor” is as powerful as any on the album.

My Blessed Pain: A toe-tapping throwback to old Blues Traveler. This one has a swinging hook and great backup instrumental work.

Let Her and Let Go: The album’s first single that you will not be hearing on the radio. Tad Kinchla wrote this one and it sounds annoyingly like the first pop song he wrote for the band: Girl Inside My Head, the first single off “Bridge." Still, this infectious song is undeniable but it shouldn’t end up on any greatest hits albums.

Thinnest of Air: This could be dismissed as a bouncy mail-it-in effort until you look closely at how all elements of this song come together. Popper’s self-conscious lyrics identify with the everyman (as is his specialty as a lyricist) and a precarious tempo adds to the uncertainty of the most fun song on the album.

Can’t See Why: This track doesn’t work as well as others, but its potential as an amazing live song is undeniable. Every BT album has at least one song that you aren’t sure about until you see it come together live. It then becomes a crowd favorite. Here is a quick rundown of those songs by album:

Album: Song
Bridge: All Hands
Straight on ‘Till Morning: Carolina Blues
Four: Crash Burn
Save His Soul: Love and Greed
Travelers and Thieves: Mountain Cry
Blues Traveler: Sweet Talkin Hippie

Stumble and Fall: An easy song with toe-tapping beats and a smooth vocal from Popper.

This Ache: Diabolical. I listened to this in the dark and actually got scared. Great metaphor in the lyrics, impressive meshing of pace and vocal.

Mount Normal: The only song completely written by Popper – a shame because songs that Popper pens himself are normally the highlights of any album. Popper was the sole writer on every hit the band has had and turned in impressive efforts on songs like Conquer Me and Trina Magna from “Save His Soul.” Anyway, Mount Normal is a beautifully performed inspirational song that is worth a listen.

The One: On track 11, the classic place for album filler, there is none. This song could challenge as a single with its pop sensibility.

Partner in Crime: It doesn’t necessarily work as a final song. Other BT final tracks (Brother John on “Four”, Fledgling on “Save his Soul”) were more appropriate as the classic quirky album closer. But this works in the sense that, like everything else on the album, it is a fucking good song: Bluesy in appearance, and biting in tone.