Black Crowes – Before the Frost/After the Freeze

Well, the Brothers Robinson have released yet another album, Before the Frost… with it’s down-loadable companion, …After the Freeze. What are we even on anymore, eight, nine? Something around there…

This album isn’t bad, it’s bluesy and full of soul, and sounds like the same thing that they’ve been doing for almost three decades. Guys, you’re a 30-year-old jam band. Really?

Like I said, as far as the album goes, not bad, they’re just not offering anything new. They have their acoustic ballad, “Appaloosa” (see: “She Talks to Angels”), their heavy, bass-laden hit single, “Good Morning Captain” (see: “Hard to Handle”), and their soul filled, borderline gospel sound with “Been A Long Time (Waiting On Love)” (see: “Remedy”). It’s not necessarily that it’s a bad sound, it’s just a sound that has been brutally beaten to death by Chris and Rich Robinson. Then they kicked it’s corpse and left it behind a dumpster to rot.

The only stand out song on this album is “I Ain’t Hiding”, a trippy, prog-rock 70′s tune that makes me want to wear tie-dye and eat a lot, A LOT, of mushrooms. Kind of an early Clapton attitude with it. Robinson’s vocals aren’t that great, but it’s got a good beat and thank god, it’s not that same old Crowes sound. C

Black Crowes Site