ARTiST: The Bridge
ALBUM: Blind Man's Hill
BiTRATE: 195kbps avg
QUALiTY: EAC Secure Mode / LAME 3.97 Final / -V2 --vbr-new / 44.100Khz
LABEL: Hyena Records
GENRE: Rock
SiZE: 81.68 megs
PLAYTiME: 0h 55min 41sec total
RiP DATE: 2008-11-21
STORE DATE: 2008-10-17
Track List:
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01. Honey Bee 3:51
02. Let Me Off This Train 4:15
03. Old White Lightning 95 4:00
04. Dirtball Blues 3:38
05. Devil On Me 6:32
06. Bury My Bones In Baltimore 3:23
07. Poison Wine 4:40
08. Born Ramblin' 3:43
09. Diggin' In The Cold Ground 5:34
10. In Dreams 3:43
11. Heavy Water 6:21
12. Lasting Hymn 6:01
Release Notes:
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As impressive as The Bridge has been over the course of their brief career, it
seems we're just seeing the surface of what they can do.
Blind Man's Hill is a crystal clear sonic statement of this Baltimore band's
expansive vision. It reveals their fully realized powers in quick, cutting
bursts of funked-up country rock, sometimes dipping farther into the well of a
particular style, but never settling there.
The band's wide range of abilities is showcased in the first 10 minutes. "Honey
Bee" is as funky as it wants to be, with popping snare hits, body-shaking
rhythms laced with sax, and steamy vocals, while "Let Me Off This Train" more
prominently features the mandolin and acoustic guitar with chugging country
rhythms and impassioned vocals over a strolling bass line. Cris Jacobs emerges
as a formidable vocal talent throughout, shining on songs with righteous lyrics
like "Old White Lightning 95" and the foreboding "Devil On Me." "Devil In Me" is
an engaging tune that delves into blues, jazz, world music, and rock
simultaneously, rising from a sullen dirge to a triumphant climax. "Bury My
Bones In Baltimore" sounds so timeless that it could have been written a century
ago, and "Born' Ramblin" has a pleasant roughness that meshes lap steel,
mandolin, and self-referential vocals to create a modern-day folk tune. The
album almost drifts too far into folk/country territory before the driving
"Diggin' in the Cold Ground" adds some needed electricity. "Heavy Water" also
has a bluesy intensity, but it is also heavily spiked with bayou imagery and R&B
energy. "Lasting Hymn" is an appropriate closer, a gentle palate-cleanser placed
perfectly after the wild ride the listener just took.
While the band hasn't lost their trademark diversity, there's a lot more
substance here than their previous albums - and they even dropped the beatboxing
for this record. Blind Man's Hill is a significantly serious step for a band
that is rapidly ascending the ranks of the music world.