Review- Blackberry Smoke: Be Right Here
Photo by Andy Sapp
It’s hard to remember that Blackberry Smoke, now in its 23rd year, is still an independent band. To say they’ve toured relentlessly would be an understatement as they have continued to play practically any place that would have them. They will be out in 2024 for over 70 already-announced dates in the US and Europe, both headlining and supporting. Along with Cody Jinks and Whiskey Myers, Blackberry Smoke will be out supporting their latest release Be Right Here.
Be Right Here is their eighth studio album, adding to their current library that includes two live releases, an EP of Rolling Stones covers, an EP recorded live at the famous Capricorn Studio in Macon, Georgia, and an EP of acoustic versions of songs. The Atlanta-based band still consists of the four original members and has added more over the years, now bringing a total of seven musicians on stage most every night, and a duo of backup singers for special occasions. Blackberry Smoke is a band of the people and their huge homegrown fanbase is fiercely loyal supporting them at concert venues and with record sales. All of this with zero support from a major record label.
While Blackberry Smoke is often mentioned as the new champion of Southern Rock, their sound is much deeper than the blues-based boogie normally associated with that genre. Dave Cobb is once again producing the band after heading up their last release You Hear Georgia and he makes sure the ten tracks on Be Right Here showcase the different sides of the group. Most of the new record was recorded at the historic RCA Studio A in Nashville, then finished up in Cobb’s “Georgia Mae” studio in Savannah, Georgia. Frontman Charlie Starr credits Cobb’s space with bringing “a swagger to it, a deep in the pocket kind of feel” to Be Right Here. He adds that Cobb was also very much involved in the organic nature of the sound of the record, “We always track live together, but this time we had all our amps and drums and everything in the same room. It’s just as natural and as real as possible. The last album was very raw too, but with this one I remember different times I would say, ‘I think we should redo that,’ and Dave was like, ‘No, leave it that way. That way it’s magical.’”
Four singles have already been released before the rest of the album debuts on February 16 via 3 Legged Records/Thirty Tigers. “Dig A Hole” was the first taste of Be Right Here and quickly established itself in the concert setlist fitting right in with other BBS standards with its fat riff and screaming guitar solo. Starr shares writing credit with former Buckcherry guitarist and longtime corroborator Keith Nelson on “Hammer and the Nail” built around an acoustic guitar lick and featuring some tasty piano from Brandon Stills on its way to more electric guitars. Another frequent co-writer, Travis Meadows, contributes the other two singles already out. “Little Bit Crazy” might be the one track you should play for someone who has never heard Blackberry Smoke before as it contains all the elements of the perfect BBS tune. The song opens with the a capella harmonies of background singers the Black Bettys and Charlie Starr before kicking into a straight-ahead Stones-style riff backed by a rollicking piano, with brothers Richard and Brit Turner laying down a greasy bass and drum bottom, giving it their signature sound. Paul Jackson lays down one of his finest guitar solos and the whole song simply rocks. The other Meadows contribution is the complete opposite, showing the band’s softer side which is always represented on record and in concert. “Azalea” is all acoustic guitars and light percussion. Starr says “It’s a heavy song. It’s not a happy song, per se…There’s some hope in there, too. It comes with both Travis and I being fathers. Hold on to your kids as tight as you can without smothering them.”
Long-time Smoke fans will not be disappointed with the other songs on Be Right Here as they all stand up to the standards set by previous releases. “Like It Was Yesterday” already feels familiar thanks to the killer guitar riff Charlie got from Keith Nelson that sets the scene for a searing slide guitar solo. “Be So Lucky” joins the ranks of those Blackberry Smoke tracks that defy categorization. It’s a mid-tempo piece that never quite kicks into rock gear - but never slips into a ballad - and still features a nifty guitar solo. There is an emphasis on vocals here and Starr delivers again: “Yeah you make it look so easy / Just a thing to do / Throw it over my left shoulder / Having nothin’s having nothin’ to lose.” Positivity has always been a hallmark of the band and the lyrics of “Other Side of the Light” continue that trend in a breezy acoustic-based track: “If the sky is falling and the mountains all shake / Will you give me shelter til the new dawn breaks? / She said I’ll walk you through the shadows til we make it through the night / Don’t worry about the darkness, it’s just the other side of the light.” Things get swampy on “Whatcha Know Good” co-written by fellow Georgian (and cousin of producer Dave) Brent Cobb. More slide guitar and an easygoing vocal keep the positive vibes flowing. While “Barefoot Angel”could easily find a place in a Charlie Starr acoustic set, the whole band joins in to flesh out the power ballad that brings the album to a triumphant finish.
Blackberry Smoke has been doing things their own way for the better part of a quarter century. They have developed a sound that is uniquely their own and a relationship with fans that is unmatched. Be Right Here checks all of the boxes that those fans want.
Find out more about Blackberry Smoke at the links below:
