Walter Trout – Sign Of The Times
Renowned American blues-rock singer-guitarist Walter Trout has been in fine, new lease of life form since recovering from his lifesaving liver transplant eleven years ago.
The rock orientated Sign Of The Times however, with lyrical contribution from Trout’s wife Marie, is his boldest work to date. And, arguably, his best.
On the album, Walter Trout (who also produced this time around) is ably assisted by Michael Leasure (drums), John Avila (bass), and Teddy "Zig Zag" Andreadis (keys).
There are also notable contributions from famed string arranger Stevie Blacke (accordion, mandolin, violin).
Opening track 'Artificial,' a thick riff and blues harp led midtempo, lyrically bemoans the falsehoods of modern life and the dangers of A.I.
Sung with semi-narrated passion ("I can’t tell what’s real anymore!") 'Artificial' features a seriously angsty solo from Trout, before a breakdown reinforces, and builds back up to, the song’s main lyrical theme.
Another feisty guitar solo closes out what is one of Trout’s best ever songs.
Following number 'Blood On My Pillow' is a fairly standard slow blues, but one that benefits from more excellent guitar work from Trout and a perfectly fitting blues-tired, but still impassioned, vocal.
(While some tracks feature an intentionally world weary vocal, or delivered in a semi-spoken word style, Trout is still in very strong voice).
The weighty and intentionally dissonant title track is one of the most interesting songs Walter Trout has ever recorded.
'Sign Of The Times,' with words by Marie Trout, is lyrically on-point, musically heavy, and stacked with attitude. Featuring more great guitar work (echoes of Hendrix here) and an effected, crying for the world/ chain-gang styled vocal part, 'Sign of The Times' is, like 'Artificial,' one of Walter Trout’s best ever songs.
The rock orientated Sign Of The Times however, with lyrical contribution from Trout’s wife Marie, is his boldest work to date. And, arguably, his best.
On the album, Walter Trout (who also produced this time around) is ably assisted by Michael Leasure (drums), John Avila (bass), and Teddy "Zig Zag" Andreadis (keys).
There are also notable contributions from famed string arranger Stevie Blacke (accordion, mandolin, violin).
Opening track 'Artificial,' a thick riff and blues harp led midtempo, lyrically bemoans the falsehoods of modern life and the dangers of A.I.
Sung with semi-narrated passion ("I can’t tell what’s real anymore!") 'Artificial' features a seriously angsty solo from Trout, before a breakdown reinforces, and builds back up to, the song’s main lyrical theme.
Another feisty guitar solo closes out what is one of Trout’s best ever songs.
Following number 'Blood On My Pillow' is a fairly standard slow blues, but one that benefits from more excellent guitar work from Trout and a perfectly fitting blues-tired, but still impassioned, vocal.
(While some tracks feature an intentionally world weary vocal, or delivered in a semi-spoken word style, Trout is still in very strong voice).
The weighty and intentionally dissonant title track is one of the most interesting songs Walter Trout has ever recorded.
'Sign Of The Times,' with words by Marie Trout, is lyrically on-point, musically heavy, and stacked with attitude. Featuring more great guitar work (echoes of Hendrix here) and an effected, crying for the world/ chain-gang styled vocal part, 'Sign of The Times' is, like 'Artificial,' one of Walter Trout’s best ever songs.
The country-folk influenced 'Mona Lisa, Smile' has Walter Trout vocally delivering in a more limited style that recalls the likes of Kris Kristofferson (that the vocal isn’t perfect is intentional; it adds to the honesty and endearing charm of a song written for wife Marie).
Simply arranged and featuring acoustic guitar, violin, accordion and Rhodes piano, 'Mona Lisa, Smile' is something of a departure for Walter Trout but it works, and works well.
The up-tempo 'Hurt No More' carries Americana/ country rock leanings and sports an effective chorus; as such it stands up well in the context of the album.
Walter Trout contributes another strong solo, which is tasteful rather than flash, while the autobiographical lyric underlines the importance of the song to Trout, who has been open and honest about his destructive past ("I cut myself, I hurt myself, but the I threw away the knife; I finally understood just how much I wanted to hold on to my life").
The brooding 'No Strings Attached' is a slow tempo rock-blues that features some howling guitar lines and another angry vocal delivery from Trout. There is a definite Hendrix/Trower influence here (no bad thing), which is partly due to the effected guitar sound used, which includes a Univibe. Another highlight.
'I Remember' is a lyrically reflective number with a Heartland vibe not dissimilar to the Eagles or Springsteen, and even a splash of Elvis Costello.
It also includes a lovely instrumental melody, which plays as counterpoint to the chorus section.
'Hightech Woman' is a fun boogie-blues (with some great barroom piano from Teddy Andreadis) where Walter Trout admits he’s an analogue man in need of digital-age gal (in this case Marie; being a gifted lyricist is but one of her strengths).
'Too Bad,' which follows, is a simple but effective, live in the studio, acoustic & harmonica ‘relationship’ blues ("Too bad about us, I thought we might just make it… but we couldn’t fake it").
'Struggle to Believe' ensures the album closes as impressively as it opened.
An effective, high energy rock out number, the extended breakdown/ instrumental section is a fully improvised, one-take deal. Said breakdown nods to The Who’s blistering cover of 'Young Man Blues' from their Live At Leeds album, where Messrs Townshend, Entwistle & Moon went off on one (or rather three).
The band then return to the song structure seamlessly before ending on a big "I struggle to believe!" finish.
Sign Of The Times is musically strong and lyrically topical, but it's also the sign of a musician who still has a fire in his belly and the musical bullets, with ammunition supplied by the current state of the world.
Nelson McFarlane & Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Click here for FabricationsHQ's dovetailing interview with Walter Trout.
Simply arranged and featuring acoustic guitar, violin, accordion and Rhodes piano, 'Mona Lisa, Smile' is something of a departure for Walter Trout but it works, and works well.
The up-tempo 'Hurt No More' carries Americana/ country rock leanings and sports an effective chorus; as such it stands up well in the context of the album.
Walter Trout contributes another strong solo, which is tasteful rather than flash, while the autobiographical lyric underlines the importance of the song to Trout, who has been open and honest about his destructive past ("I cut myself, I hurt myself, but the I threw away the knife; I finally understood just how much I wanted to hold on to my life").
The brooding 'No Strings Attached' is a slow tempo rock-blues that features some howling guitar lines and another angry vocal delivery from Trout. There is a definite Hendrix/Trower influence here (no bad thing), which is partly due to the effected guitar sound used, which includes a Univibe. Another highlight.
'I Remember' is a lyrically reflective number with a Heartland vibe not dissimilar to the Eagles or Springsteen, and even a splash of Elvis Costello.
It also includes a lovely instrumental melody, which plays as counterpoint to the chorus section.
'Hightech Woman' is a fun boogie-blues (with some great barroom piano from Teddy Andreadis) where Walter Trout admits he’s an analogue man in need of digital-age gal (in this case Marie; being a gifted lyricist is but one of her strengths).
'Too Bad,' which follows, is a simple but effective, live in the studio, acoustic & harmonica ‘relationship’ blues ("Too bad about us, I thought we might just make it… but we couldn’t fake it").
'Struggle to Believe' ensures the album closes as impressively as it opened.
An effective, high energy rock out number, the extended breakdown/ instrumental section is a fully improvised, one-take deal. Said breakdown nods to The Who’s blistering cover of 'Young Man Blues' from their Live At Leeds album, where Messrs Townshend, Entwistle & Moon went off on one (or rather three).
The band then return to the song structure seamlessly before ending on a big "I struggle to believe!" finish.
Sign Of The Times is musically strong and lyrically topical, but it's also the sign of a musician who still has a fire in his belly and the musical bullets, with ammunition supplied by the current state of the world.
Nelson McFarlane & Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Click here for FabricationsHQ's dovetailing interview with Walter Trout.