"You hear Georgia when I open my mouth," sings
Blackberry Smoke leader Charlie Starr on the title track of the band's seventh album. Starr isn't wrong. Ever since their first indie records back in the 2000s,
Blackberry Smoke has been steeped in the traditions of Southern rock, occasionally recalling Georgian heavyweights
the Allman Brothers Band but more frequently bringing to mind the greasy, flinty style of
Lynyrd Skynyrd. Both bands loom over
You Hear Georgia, but
Blackberry Smoke manages to find a few new wrinkles, such as the
Little Feat funk that keeps "Hey Delilah" simmering. Still, the group spends most of
You Hear Georgia sticking to their tried and true boogie, punctuating the rockers with barroom ballads like "Lonesome for a Livin'" and the wistful backyard picking of "Old Enough to Know." It's nothing unexpected but it's all effective, from the sturdy song constructions to performances that know when to lean into the muscle and when to let things swing. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine