The Tedeschi Trucks Band’s Signs effectively corrects the downward curve of their studio work since 2011’s Revelator. The emotional undercurrent of that debut, the key to its success, is also present on this fourth album, a virtue that informs impeccable craftsmanship similar to its immediate predecessors, both of which suffered from a workmanlike approach almost totally bereft of feeling. Like Made Up Mind and Let Me Get By, Signs may also be greater than the sum of its parts, but its similarly superb sound quality is indicative of the clarity of thought permeating the musicianship and production rather than camouflage for a lack of engagement.
Largely free of the affection to which she sometimes succumbs, the warm, incisive singing of Susan Tedeschi earmarks tracks such as the devotional “I’m Gonna Be There.” On “High Time,” horns pump alongside the wailing backup vocalists, while bassist Tim Lefebfvre (now departed the group) and the double drummers J.J. Johnson and Tyler Greenwell drive the performance. Meanwhile, Derek Trucks’ lead guitar weaves and out of all this dense interplay, unifying and integrating additional contributions from kindred spirits including guitarist/vocalist Warren Haynes of Gov’t Mule and former Allman Brother/Gregg Allman Friend percussionist Marc Quinones.
From the very start of this Fantasy Records opener, all the resources of the twelve-piece band roll out over the course of these forty-plus minutes playing time. Yet the arrangements, such as that for “When Will I Begin,” feature the various components of the group, parceled out in a purposeful sequence to generate momentum. And it isn’t just Trucks’ whose playing is so pointed: as on “Walk Through This Life,” Kofi Burbridge’s keyboards cement the collective musicianship. Nevertheless, Derek’s guitar on “Still Your Mind” represents the thread of continuity for the TTB.
Understated and unobtrusive as it so often is on Signs, the sound of his instrument becomes increasingly prominent as the eleven tracks unfold and the intensity and ingenuity of his playing elevate that of his bandmates (and also reflects the colorful intricacy of this album’s cover art). Constant road work has certainly honed the instincts of all dozen players in the ensemble, but it remains to their great credit they can bring that rigorous practice to bear in recording sessions.
Nurtured through the co-production of Trucks, with engineers Jim Scott and Bobby Tis at the bandleaders’ Swamp Raga Studios, the Tedeschi Trucks Band is as focused for the abandon of “Shame,” as for a proportionately delicate touch on the quiet melancholy of “All The World.” So, it’s perfectly appropriate Signs should conclude with the bluesy, acoustic intimacy of “The Ending:” The soulful simplicity of its sound and delivery invites contemplation of what’s preceded and further encourages the pleasurable processing of an LP as disciplined as it is versatile.
