Bridge,
Blues Traveler's 2001 release, was appropriate. It was definitely a stylistic return to form after the disappointing
Straight on Till Morning. But
Bridge also brought
BT back to the world after the death of bassist
Bob Sheehan and
John Popper's bouts with illness.
Truth Be Told builds on that momentum, telescoping the veteran combo's sound, history, and experience -- both good and bad ones -- into a strong twelve-song set. There's radio-friendly material here - "Sweet and Broken"; "My Blessed Pain" -- but these aren't sequels to the cleansed bop of "Runaround." Instead, they click on clever wordplay from
Popper and
Chan Kinchla's crackling little guitar parts. New keyboardist
Ben Wilson is invaluable throughout
Truth; his rhythmic lines and well-placed solo moments are so effortlessly integrated, it's difficult to remember a
Blues Traveler without keys. His organ kicks off one of the album's more exploratory moments. "Thinnest of Air" sounds like sped-up dub reggae, unspooling threads of trippy atmosphere without killing the track's relentless drive. And while the presence of
Wilson's piano and organ does eat into
Popper's harmonica parts a bit, "Can't See Why" still has room for one of those tongue workout harp freakouts. At the same time, it's also one of the album's rawest songs, toasting the band's jammy and vibrant live sound without spinning into a laborious tangent of aimless soloing. "Unable to Get Free" and "Let Her & Let Go" are album highlights. Both cuts combine big, boisterous choruses with sinewy songcraft that contracts or expands with the band's inspired, focused playing. There's groove here, and it's a bluesy, tour-tested one. But there are also easily accessible melodies and whip-smart lyrics. Comfortably ensconced at Sanctuary, and oblivious to any worries about follow-up singles or Platinum records,
Blues Traveler has made something that quietly and confidently has the potential for both. ~ Johnny Loftus