Review Summary: Black Stone Cherry return to fine tune their signature sound even further and throw in a few surprises along the way.
Black Stone Cherry has returned with their first album release since 2008’s ‘Folklore & Superstition’ and have teamed up with producer Howard Benson to help make their third solid album in a row. ‘Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea’ is an accumulation of everything fans have previously loved about the band as heard on their self-titled debut album and their second outing ‘Folklore And Superstition’.
However this time around, Black Stone Cherry tries to improve on the slower and more heartfelt songs that were first seen on their last attempt. Tracks like ‘Won’t Let Go’, ‘Stay’ and ‘All I’m Dreamin’ Of’ all aim to reach out to new fans who don’t necessarily like their heavier songs. The track ‘Let It Roll’ is one of the stand outs of the softer crop and features a John Mellencamp-esk guitar riff and lyrics that help paint a vivid picture of driving across the American countryside in the summer. The music in this track builds up to showcase one of their best choruses to date; “I roll like the hills under the California sun, Burn through the desert like the devil on the run…”
Yet for the fans that prefer their Black Stone Cherry louder and heavier, you won’t be disappointed. The heavier tracks on the record, including ‘Such A Shame’, ‘White Trash Millionaire’ and ‘Change,’ all sound like they could be lifted straight off their debut albums b-side scrap heap, but they’re fine tuned to feature even meaner riffs. All these songs incorporate pounding bass lines; Chris Robertson’s shining southern fueled vocals, grungy guitars and driving drum beats. With the best of both worlds this album really is accessible for anyone.
In conclusion ‘Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea’ sees one of the most underrated American rock bands of the modern day soar and continue to deliver their unique blend of southern influenced modern rock. Black Stone Cherry has also pushed some different boundaries, with the somewhat funky song ‘Blame It On The Boom Boom’ and with the softer attempts that are written to pull on listeners heartstrings. This release maintains Black Stone Cherry consecutive solid record releases and it’s only a matter of time before one of their songs becomes a huge international hit and they become a common household name in Australia.
