If anything, Blackberry Smoke is malleable. The descriptors of southern rockers, country rockers, blues rockers, roots rockers, or flat-out rockers would shortchange them. They’ve proven to be all of those and more as their latest, Be Right Here, proves. It continues to reveal the impact that producer Dave Cobb (Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlisle) has made. When this writer first heard the band several years ago, the initial impression was that of loud southern rockers but their literary lyrics and oft-toned-down sonics on Be Right Here form a much different perspective, that of astute songcraft. Their 2021 You Hear Georgia was a step in this direction but the celebratory mood of the album as the band marked twenty years often prevailed. Here the band sounds loose as they dig into some serious issues, but rest assured that their classic anthems are still present, though the album goes far beyond mere toe tapping or foot stomping.
Frontman Charlie Starr has worked with several producers over the band’s two-decade-plus run but has developed a special chemistry with Cobb, who insists on recording the band live and giving them plenty of freedom. Cobb veers toward the natural and raw, which seems to suit Starr and the band just fine. Two prevailing threads run through the record – character sketches and family issues, some tied together in the same song, others separately. Starr either penned them himself or with co-writers. The album begins with “Dig a Hole,” regaling their trademark southern rock, country-infused stomping sound. Put this one in the anthem category. The Stones-like riff that introduces “Like It Was Yesterday” owes to former Buckcherry guitarist Keith Nelson, as Starr paints a sketch of a young man who appreciates good times with the underlying message of holding blissful moments dear as they can be fleeting, a notion the character does not yet appreciate. In a similar vein, “Watcha Know Good,” co-written with Brent Cobb, depicts one who shuns negativity. He turns off the news and prefers to engage with people and be happy instead.
Starr marries the family perspective with these narratives too. In “Other Side of the Light,” penned with Levi Lowrey, the youngster has difficulty with the unexpected twists and turns of a road trip, taking solace in the notion he’ll find comfort and shelter with his mom. This one plays like a folk-rocker while “Azalea,” written with frequent collaborator Travis Meadows, is an acoustic rendered tale that’s a bit dark but ultimately optimistic for a lost wanderer finding his way home. It’s a rumination on fatherhood, the balancing act of granting freedom, comfort, and mentorship. With a similar lyrical theme, but in flat-out rocking mode following the gospel introduction of The Black Bettys, Meadows and Starr also teamed on “Little Bit Crazy,” about one embroiled in an obsessive but unhealthy relationship. The anthemic stomper, “Hammer and Nail,” co-written with Nelson, essays the tension of a youngster debating to surrender to his wild side like his dad or pursue a more righteous path.
There are feel-good, high-octane rockers too, much like the vibe of You Hear Georgia with “Be So Lucky” and “Don’t Mind If I Do,” yet as a true rarity Starr delivers a heartfelt power ballad, a love song to his wife in the standout closer “Barefoot Angel.” Overall, it’s a great listen in the car or for a gathering of friends, but the lyrics and diversity of sound surpass previous efforts, offering a rewarding, focused listen.
