Black Stone Cherry
Folklore And Superstition

It is unclear why, when listening to young bands, one must necessarily seek out some groundbreaking novelties or inventions, when sometimes to enjoy a good album, it would suffice to listen without prejudice, expecting nothing more than good music played with passion.

With this mindset, I decided to listen to Black Stone Cherry, four guys from Kentucky just over twenty, who after their self-titled debut album return to the market with "Folklore and Superstition." Curiosity was piqued by the fact that all the reviews I had read compared BSC to Lynyrd Skynyrd in terms of sound and songwriting, but upon listening, one immediately notices that their musical influences are multiple. BSC is one of those bands that draw inspiration from all the masters of '70s/'80s rock, so we find references to Lynyrd Skynyrd, but also Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen, Guns ‘n’ Roses, etc.; this mixture makes the album varied, lively, with tracks full of energy that alternate, engaging the listener with familiar sounds.

Their formula is therefore the classic one of hard rock Americana, played hard, but particular attention is given to melody, which used sparingly characterizes the tracks with refrains capable of sticking in your head for days; another winning move is the use of gospel choirs within various tracks, giving a touch of personality to compositions already valid in themselves. A strong point of the album and the band is the singer/guitarist Chris Robertson, who, with a great voice, manages to use it wisely with sometimes sublime interpretations such as in "Peace Is Free", a profound ballad capable of conveying strong emotions, or "Soul Creek", a stadium anthem sung with an energy comparable to Bruce Springsteen in his prime (indeed the song greatly recalls the Boss's style).

The other members of the band still do their part, playing with grit, passion, and skill, leaving a blazing mark on tracks like the opener "Blind Man", characterized by a heavy riff that transports us to typically seventies sounds, the engaging melodic line then spills into an effective chorus that presents BSC's main characteristics in the best way.

Wanting to mention other tracks, noteworthy are "The Bitter End", a neurotic up-tempo where BSC reveals how varied their musical knowledge is, enjoy Ben Wells’ solo and a cadenced and engaging finale, and "Long Sleeves", which clearly stands out among the best tracks of the album as it represents the most suitable and rewarding musical dimension for BSC, the cadenced and solid rhythm of the track indeed gives more opportunity for individual musicians to express themselves at their best.

In conclusion, the album does not convince in terms of originality, but in terms of the quality of music offered, it does. Moreover, considering their very young age, one could not expect more. I am convinced that over time, they will write music with greater personality because the foundations to become great are all there.

To discover.

Rating 3.5