Sign Of The Times

After life on the road with Canned Heat and John Mayalls Bluesbreakers, guitarist Walter Trout was sidelined with a life-threatening illness that required a liver transplant in 2014. Following his recovery, he returned with a vengeance. Since releasing 2015s Battle Scars, hes reached a higher level in his playing, songwriting, and performances. On Sign of the Times the bluesman and his killer road band deliver ten scorching originals that reflect his current worldview: skeptical, cautious and critical, while leaving just enough room for love and a glimmer of hope. He produced while spouse, co-writer, and manager Marie Trout served as executive producer and cowrote several songs. Opener "Artificial" looks at the "promise" of artificial intelligence with a critical eye, asking questions about its consequences for human life while surrounded by gritty power chords, harmonica, and a wailing Hammond B-3 organ. Trouts solo is overdriven, melding modern blues, hard rock, and power metal riffs. This is doubly true of the title cut -- its a vicious power-driven blues jam with ominous, low-end chanting, a monstrous guitar workout wrapped in power metal blues, power metal riffs, distortion, and a Hendrixian guitar solo with Trouts menacing, cautionary growl up front. After wrangling power, doubt, anger, and pain on the first three cuts, Trout injects hope and love on "Mona Lisa Smile." Composed for Marie, its one of the most beautiful love songs hes written. Framed in acoustic guitars, mandolin, violin, and a melody line that weds Americana and Mexican ranchera, its lyrics offer proof of him seeing Maries steadfast, courageous character, including doubt, generosity, and vulnerability. "No Strings Attached" is introduced by a whomping bass drum, throbbing bassline, and Trouts screaming solo that recalls Jimi Hendrix. Amid a swirling B-3, he goes directly after those who scorn others beliefs, "Got no love inside your heart… Go ahead and light that match… You’re all devoid of hope...." Trout turns to the pleasure of simpler times and memories on the Bob Seger-esque "I Remember." At 74, Trouts lived fast and hard for 40 of the last 50 years. Nostalgia blankets the gorgeous midtempo rocker colored by swelling organ, majestic piano, a shuffling snare, and lyrics about the past that Van Morrison would embrace. Its great to get an entire album like this from the guitar slinger. "Hi Tech Woman" offers a vintage bar-room boogie beat supporting Walter as he confesses his lack of aptitude with technology and how Marie is a constant source of knowledge and support. Following the acoustic backporch guitar, harmonica, and stomping board on "Too Bad," set-closer "Struggle to Believe" pulls out all the stops. If there is raw blues metal, this is it. All instruments are leveled to stun. The bands interplay amid Walters lyrical pessimism and confusion sound like the thunder of a black-winged army. There is no other recorded guitar solo in his catalog that sounds as desperate as this one. Sign of the Times is a raw, cathartic exercise in hard-rocking blues angst, pain, and an undying hope that will hopefully sustain us. ~ Thom Jurek