Release Date:             20/4/18

Label :                           Mascot Records

Producer:                    Black Stone Cherry

Highlights:                   My Last Breath

Family Tree

You Got The Blues

Lows:                             none- it’s Black Stone Cherry!

Best Lyric:                    “If all I had left was my last breath

Here’s what I’d spend it on

I’d tell you, “You were my world and she was my girl.”

If all I had left was my last breath”

I always find it more difficult to review albums by bands I really love. It’s harder to be objective when you know in your heart that you’d pay money to listen to them singing the phone book and still be happy.

I’ve deliberated over this review for nigh on a week while listening to Family Tree on repeat.

If I could sum this record up in one word it would be “fun.”

These boys from Edmonton, Kentucky are loving what they do and are having fun with their music and that’s what oozes through every one of the thirteen songs on this record.

Family Tree is the sixth studio album from Black Stone Cherry and, like Kentucky before it, is self-produced. It’s fair to say this record is a real family affair. They’ve also brought a guest along too to share in the fun as Warren Haynes from Gov’t Mule makes an appearance. (Guess, he a bit like a long lost BSC uncle)

To date, there have been two singles released from Family Tree- Bad Habit and Burnin’. Both are, to my music fan ears, classic Black Stone Cherry tracks. With these boys you know what to expect….or do you?

Last year’s Black to Blues EP hinted at the more blues based direction they were travelling in.

Family Tree throws a few kinks into that well-travelled road with 1980’s Bon Jovi/Slash style influences, a healthy dose of funk and soul and some gospel vibes running alongside the Southern rock riffs that we know and love.

I’m not about to dissect this record track by track – whew I hear you cry!

This is an album you need to listen to and then allow these songs to grow with you. I’m still learning to love and appreciate several of the tracks on here.

I’ve called three out as my highlight tracks.

You Got The Blues sees a cameo guest vocalist appearance by Chris Robertson’s five year old son. I love the quirky almost fairground intro to this track before it evolves into one of the heaviest on the album.

Title track, Family Tree, rounds things off and, for me personally, is the track that I suspect will be around the longest on the live set from this album. Love it. It is 100% pure Black Stone Cherry.

I’ve called My Last Breath out as the third of my highlight moments. It’s a very personal ballad in the form of a letter from Chris to his son. The lyrics are straight from the heart. This song is the album’s Things My Father Said or The Rambler but…..sorry, boys… I feel this one has been made overly complicated and is a tad over-produced. Chris and Ben playing acoustically, Jon laying down a subtle bass and John Fred on cajon- now that would make this song perfect and let it assume its rightful place among the others. Merely my humble personal opinion. It’s a beautiful song.

There’s something for every Black Stone Cherry fan on this record. Maybe Black Stone Cherry are my “Bad Habit”. Is this my favourite of all their records? No.  Is it a great album? Hell, yeah!

Don’t believe me, listen to it for yourself then listen to it some more.

9.5/10

(images sourced via Google – credits to the owners)