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While it's always been true that Ben Harper has been a musically restless soul with a penchant for changing up his groove from album to album, most of them have been recorded with his longtime unit the Innocent Criminals. As a result, both live and in the studio, a particular vibe existed. Familiarity breeds that, and it also sets up a dynamic. For White Lies for Dark Times, Harper put the Innocent Criminals on hiatus and hooked up with a new group: three Austin, TX transplants to Los Angeles called Relentless7, comprised of guitarist Jason Mozersky, bassist Jesse Ingalls, and drummer Jordan Richardson. The end result is, to say the least, explosive. While it's true that this 11-track collection does have some beautiful acoustic balladry on it, and a touch of Harper's brand of soul in its grooves, most of what we find here is balls out Rock with a potent dose of ragged, modern Texas blues thrown in. Indeed this may be the most electric sounding recording Harper has ever issued. He co-wrote six of the tracks with his bandmates, and those he wrote himself have been arranged and/or written to be played with this band. It's in the mix from the opener, "Number with No Name," the slow slide guitar playing an electric blues stomp that's pure Harper, but the drums are pure thud and whomp rather than snap and crackle. The bassline is enormous and the second guitar matches both volume and nastiness with that slide. In other words, this sounds like a band playing this jam, not Harper and his band. One can hear traces of Jimi Hendrix, early ZZ Top, and Johnny Winter in the attack, but it's pure rocking blues thunder and lightning spit out via Texas and the Delta.
Condition:Brand new factory sealed.
TRACK LISTINGS
Disc 1
1 Number with No Name / Relentless7 3:05
2 Up to You Now / Relentless7 5:01
3 Shimmer & Shine / Relentless7 3:06
4 Lay There & Hate Me / Relentless7 4:14
5 Why Must You Always Dress in Black / Relentless7 4:43
6 Skin Thin / Relentless7 4:34
7 Fly One Time / Relentless7 4:12
8 Keep It Together (So I Can Fall Apart) / Relentless7 4:56
9 Boots Like These / Relentless7 3:54
10 The Word Suicide / Relentless7 5:04
11 Faithfully Remain / Relentless7 4:28
Disc 2
1 Shimmer & Shine / Relentless7 DVD
2 Bonus Material / Relentless7 Bonus Track / DVD
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