These lovable southern gents have been touring relentlessly since the release of last year’s ‘Holding All The Roses’, which makes the music on this seemingly hasty follow up rather surprising. Not the quality, you understand, for Charlie Starr and the gang could seemingly make an album while hanging upside down and it would still be pure gold. What’s truly a turn up for the books is how laid back, reflective and philosophical ‘Like An Arrow’ is.
It’s not a hard and fast rule, but when bands bash out a new album while on the road they often take the energy of their live shows into the studio. Just this year we’ve seen the Temperance Movement and Rival Sons do just that, releasing superb efforts that, in contrast to much of this fifth album from Atlanta’s finest, are short, sharp and full of adrenaline.
That’s not to say ‘Like An Arrow’ doesn’t contain some typically invigorating southern rock ‘n’ roll excellence. Let It Burn’s honky tonk attitude and twinkling piano runs make for a succulent collision of Six Ways To Sunday and Let Me Help You (Find The Door), while Ought To Know purrs with peachy Allman Brothers guitar strokes and the blue collar frustration of Workin’ For A Workin’ Man’ boasts a feisty, bird-flipping chorus to rival Wish In One Hand.
Elsewhere, What Comes Naturally displays their saucy side over a lascivious ragtime saloon waltz and Waiting For The Thunder drops the hammer with full-force, rabble-rousing power chords that punctuate Starr’s preacher-like holler. Believe In Me, meanwhile, offers something a little different but equally engrossing. A super cool bit of karmic advice, it rides along on a sweet ‘70s funk pulse that’s got Stevie Wonder written all over it.
It’s the more contemplative moments that dominate, though, and fans of the band will know that, from Woman In The Moon to The Whippoorwill, they have a fantastic track record when it comes to the more countrified, rootsy side of their repertoire. It’s also something that’s been gaining in prominence as they’ve grown a little older and wiser.
As such, ‘Like An Arrow’ is an unhurried and classy slow burner, effortlessly crafted and delicately layered with gorgeous instrumental flavours and salt-of-the-earth Nashville storytelling. It’s a record that’s acutely aware of the passage of time, encapsulating all the band hold dear while recalling harsh lessons learned from attempting to plot a trajectory through this difficult and rewarding world.
The Good Life and Running Through Time ooze soulful, sandy harmonies, with the former finding Starr remembering the sage lessons imparted by his stoic father while the latter, which delightfully contrasts how impetuous young men and their appreciative older counterparts perceive their tribulations differently, epitomises the subtle, seductive beauty that informs so many of this album’s vintage moments.
Sunrise In Texas, in particular, channels the Eagles, Tom Petty and Lynyrd Skynyrd as Starr feels appreciative, but somewhat guilty, about his quality of life compared to the daily struggles facing others. In contrast, the blissfully breezy Free On The Wing takes an easy come, easy go approach to heartbreak, focusing on the wonderful opportunities ahead rather than wallowing in misery. And the gruff, soulful tones of guest vocalist and living legend Gregg Allman certainly add a weight of experience to those particular sentiments.
At first, this album may disappoint those who were introduced to Blackberry Smoke through on their swaggering rock ‘n’ roll and way with the odd spellbinding ballad. But persistence is key. Those ingredients are still present, even if the ratio is reversed. The more you listen, the more the buried treasures within ‘Like An Arrow’ will reveal themselves and, much like cupid, strike you right through your beguiled heart.
Blackberry Smoke Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Mon March 27 2017 - OXFORD O2 Academy Oxford
Tue March 28 2017 - LONDON Roundhouse
Wed March 29 2017 - NORWICH UEA
Fri March 31 2017 - MANCHESTER Academy
Sat April 01 2017 - DUBLIN Olympia
Mon April 03 2017 - GLASGOW Barrowland
Tue April 04 2017 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE O2 Academy Newcastle
Thu April 06 2017 - BRISTOL O2 Academy Bristol
Fri April 07 2017 - BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy Birmingham
Sat April 08 2017 - PORTSMOUTH Pyramids Centre
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