Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 10/28/2003
In 2002, guitarist
Tom Parr dropped out of
the Bottle Rockets while they were touring in support of their
Doug Sahm tribute disc,
Songs of Sahm, and while their rough-hewn roadhouse
rock & roll (with a
country twang around the edges) had been the focal point of previous albums, their first set as a three-piece,
Blue Sky, finds
Brian Henneman and his pals turning down the amps and aiming for a quieter, more rootsy sound. With
Henneman handling the guitar duties by his lonesome on most cuts (co-producer and
Gov't Mule frontman
Warren Haynes pitches in on a few songs, as does former
Blood Oranges axeman
Mark Spencer),
Blue Sky aims for a laid-back vibe that's much more
country than
rock, and with a bit more polish, it's not hard to imagine easygoing tunes like
"Men & Women," "Man of Constant Anxiety," or the title cut finding a happy home on
country radio with their simple hooks and regular-guy philosophy. But that's not to say
Henneman's gone soft, or that
Blue Sky is meek or toothless;
"Lucky Break"'s tale of a guy who's finally getting a vacation thanks to workman's comp after breaking his leg is certainly the work of the same guy who wrote
"Welfare Music," "Baggage Claim" is an affecting snapshot of how life has changed in the wake of September 11, 2001, and
"Mom & Dad" is a moving portrait of a grown man dealing with the loss of his parents.
"Pretty Little Angie" and
"I.D. Blues" also prove that
the BoRox can still rock on out when the spirit moves them, though
"I Don't Wanna Go Back" and
"The Last Time" make it clear that bassist
Robert Kearns isn't up to
Henneman's standard as a singer or songwriter just yet. All in all,
Blue Sky is certainly a changeup from what
the Bottle Rockets have done on record in the past, but if they lack the old sound and fury, their heart and soul remain intact.
~Mark Deming, All Music Guide
;)
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