The Allman Betts Band: Bless Your Heart Review
The Allman Betts Band returns for its sophomore album, Bless Your Heart. The album features 13 tracks from the 7-piece band fronted by Devon Allman and Duane Betts. Bless Your Heart was recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio.
Bless Your Heart gets off to a strong start with “Pale Horse Rider,” which has a Western feel. Betts came up with the riff Devon Allman describes as “vertigo-inducing” while saying the story of the song “kind of wrote itself.” “Carolina Song” follows which has a strong Tom Petty influence. “Ashes of My Lovers” features Betts on lead vocals and is another Western feeling track.
If you’ve had the chance to see the Allman Betts Band perform live you’ll know this is a band that can jam. That’s shown on the 12 minute instrumental “Savannah’s Dream,” which allows everyone in the band to stretch their wings. “Magnolia Road” was the first single released from the album and has Allman and Betts trading off on lead vocals with Johnny Stachela’s slide guitar all over it.
Berry Oakley Jr. makes his vocal debut on an Allman Betts Band album with “The Doctor’s Daughter,” which he penned. The track begins with an atmospheric intro featuring John Ginty’s piano sprinkled with Stachela’s slide. The track includes some wonderful flamenco style guitar playing to ride it out.
On Bless Your Heart, The Allman Betts Band continues to do what they do best, deliver good ole’ fashioned blues-tinged southern rock. The 13 tracks take the listener on a ride and are filled with an abundance of textures.
The Review: 8/10
Can’t Miss Tracks
– Pale Horse Rider
– Carolina Song
– Ashes of My Lovers
– Magnolia Road
The Big Hit
– Pale Horse Rider
