After a 13-year hiatus, Tab Benoit returns with the hard-rocking bayou blues of I Hear Thunder. The GRAMMY-nominated guitarist/singer turns up the volume and delivers the goods throughout the straightforward album.
Co-writing with friend and guitarist Anders Osborne, Benoit keeps things in basic rock formation as Terrance Higgins plays the drums and Corey Duplechin the bass on this self-produced record. The bookending efforts of the opening title track and the closing “Bayou Man” set the stage and wrap things up on the same heavy blues rock notes with chunky riffs and strong guitar solos, letting the listener know what they are in for before confirming the intentions to close.
The album plays like a southern swampy cousin to recent Gov’t Mule releases, as Benoit sings with affecting tones while hungrily biting into the hearty blues rock. The strutting “The Ghost of Gatemouth Brown” is a highlight, with its New Orleans vibe augmented by excellent guitar ripping from Osborne and Benoit. “Inner Child” allows Higgins’ drums and Duplechin’s bass to rumble and growl.
Things are a bit less effective on the slowed-down, country rock-tinged “Still Gray,” and “Why, Why” feels a bit redundant. However, Benoit’s vocals become the star on the soul-influenced “Overdue,” which is a winner. The easy-flowing “Watching The Gators Roll In” also hits the mark with effortless swagger and smirking lyrics.
George Porter Jr. brings his bass to the party on the funky grooving of “I’m A Write That Down, ” allowing Benoit and Osborne to rip lead guitar lines that soar. Tab Benoit was not going for any grand statements or musical trickery with this comeback album, as I Hear Thunder is just a solid slice of southern blues rock that stomps and rolls confidently.
