“The Black Crowes are back with a vengeance with their seventh studio album, Warpaint. The group’s first studio album in seven years has the Robinson brothers and company again showing why they were named as one of the 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock by VH1.”
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The Black Crowes are back with a vengeance with their seventh studio album, Warpaint.

The group’s first studio album in seven years has the Robinson brothers and company again showing why they were named as one of the 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock by VH1.

Despite their seven year hiatus from the studio and multiple personnel changes, the Black Crowes haven’t lost a step.

The band might have finally found a winning line-up with the additions of Adam MacDougall on keyboards and Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars on guitar.

MacDougall joined the band shortly before the recording sessions began, but you’d have a hard time noticing just from listening.

The band delves deep into their arsenal of southern rock, blues, country and gospel roots in their latest release, and it won’t leave you disappointed.

All the music and lyrics were written and published by Chris and Rich Robinson except for God’s Got It, which was written by Rev. Charlie Jackson.

The album starts with Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution, the only single released from the album. The song sounds more country than most others on the album and is most likely the song that will be stuck in your head for days after hearing it for the first time.

Walk Believer Walk, is easily the most commanding song on the album.

Getting bluesier as the song progresses, it seems as if Rich Robinson channels Duane Allman with his blistering guitar riffs.

Chris Robinson’s voice is powerful throughout the whole album, but it is staggeringly dominant in Walk Believer Walk.

Most of the songs on the album don’t stray far from what the Black Crowes have always done best – powerful vocals, deep guitar riffs and even deeper lyrics.

Although the album doesn’t contain instant classics from previous releases such as She Talks to Angels, and Hard to Handle, from their debut Shake Your Moneymaker, the album is one of their best overall releases since.

Movin’ on down the Line, has the potential to catch on as a fan favorite and become a classic, but the song is almost six minutes long. Some listeners may grow tired as it may not have the capability to hold their attention for that long.

God’s Got It, clearly shows the band’s gospel influences. Clapping and a tambourine provide a driving force behind Robinson’s vocals that will leave you smiling as you listen.

The album ends with Whoa Mule, a country-folk song that sounds like something you’d hear in Deliverance. It’s not what you’d expect to hear at the end of a Black Crowes album, but it is a nice change from the usual blues-based rock song.

Despite not branching out too far past their normal style of music, the Black Crowes deliver gold with Warpaint.

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