Blues Traveler is back. After being knocked against the ropes in 1999 with the death of founding member Bobby Sheehan and serious heart surgery for eclectic frontman/harmonica player John Popper, Blues Traveler have returned with a new lineup and a multi-layered new sound.
Though Blues Traveler has featured keyboards and pianos on other studio releases, the group recruited Ben Wilson as their full time keys player prior to recording Bridge. The full-time addition adds an attractive new element to Blues Traveler.
Instead of forcing Popper to erupt into harmonica fury in every song, Wilson's keyboard instead takes some of the lead instrument burden from the frontman. The resulting sound is refreshingly different though somewhat familiar to previous albums. Their two lead instruments establish themselves and talk back and forth to each other from track to track as the album proceeds.
"The Way" demonstrates this dynamic. Though Popper showcases his harmonica chops in the solo, the rest of the instrumental fills are primarily the keyboard work of Wilson. The two lead musicians come together in the outro solo and their two distinct sounds weave together to bring a satisfying end to the song.
The band's first single, "Girl Inside My Head" also showcases Wilson's keyboard talents and is absent of Popper's signature harmonica playing. Popper shares the song and music writing duties on this track with the band's other new addition, bass player Tad Kinchala.
Kinchala, brother of lead guitarist Chan, has already formed a tight low-end cohesion with drummer Brendan Hill, though this is the first recorded work from the duo. Kinchala and Hill's connection is best demonstrated in "Rage." The rhythmic team lead off the track and establish the bluesy beat that carries the song.
"All Hands" sounds like an homage to Phish, and that is not a bad thing. Clocking in at about five minutes, one of the album's longest songs, drummer Hill makes gratuitous use of his ride cymbal in Phish fashion while keys player Wilson plays dreamy keyboard fills. At any moment, it seems as though Phish lead singer Trey Anastasio will make a cameo to sing the chorus with Popper.
Regardless, Blues Traveler may finally be heading away from the jam-band, fun-loving vibe that helped them gain popularity and instead begin to explore more intimate topics in their songs. These songs, though seemingly familiar, are hopefully a foreshadowing of the music to come from the New Jersey five-piece. Jonathan Miller can be reached at jlmiller@email.unc.edu.
