Black Stone Cherry - Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea

Good ol' fashioned Southern rock you can't pass up. Think Alice In Chains by way of Kentucky.Whew, that's a long title to type. Black Stone Cherry's debut album was a nice breath of fresh air in 2006. And their latest effort deftly avoids the label of being a flash in the pan with more of what they've become known for; Southern hard rock that pays homage to its musical influences while still forging an identity of its own with big riffs, tasteful guitar work, and good old-fashioned charisma.

BSC's third studio album Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea rocks hard, coming off like Alice In Chains by way of Kentucky. Though, like other new bands that manage to avoid being little more than soundalikes, the boys in BSC do a great job of wearing their influences on their sleeves rather than wearing them as disguises.  So despite the obvious comparisons to bands from The Black Crowes all the way to Lynyrd Skynyrd, they've done a fine job of carving out their own unique sound over the course of their career.

Mind you it's not just all about rocking the whole way through. Tracks like Won't Let Go and In My Blood provide some dynamics with more melodic - almost ballady - respites in one of the most enjoyable albums in a long time.  And a good deal of that goes to the rich vocals of Chris Robertson, who is surely what Southern Comfort would sound like if a bottle could talk.

The Bottom Line: There are albums you listen to when you want to be impressed by this rock and roll music we all like (Van Halen, Dream Theater, et al); music that maybe makes you feel like a bit of a slacker when you hear just how amazing a person can become with dedication and practice. But then there are the albums you listen to for the pure enjoyment of the genre; great music that makes you grin from ear to ear, and sounds like it wants to buy you a beer. That's Black Stone Cherry.

- Genghis has got two zig-zags and you know he'll share...