Sunday, August 17, 2008
A+E, Music, Reviews

BLUES TRAVELER

“NORTH HOLLYWOOD SHOOTOUT”

(VERVE FORECAST)

Arriving after 2005’s polarizing but envelope-pushing “Bastardos!,” John Popper’s 2006 funk/loop-oriented solo project and 2007’s water-treading set revisiting older songs (basically covering themselves), “North Hollywood Shootout” is a much-anticipated return to form for Blues Traveler.
  
That’s a knife that cuts both ways. Sure, this sounds like classic BT fare, with rootsy, somewhat meandering melodies played against Popper’s acquired-taste vocals and hyperventilating harmonica. But there’s little to distinguish these songs as better than anything that has come before. Similarly, nothing is as commercially inviting as “Run-Around,” and the jams that define the group’s live shows are held at bay with only one out of 11 tracks—an unnecessary funk closer featuring Bruce Willis’ narration—breaking five minutes.

    The rest is pleasant enough, but never leaves the comfort zone. Tunes such as “The Queen of Sarajevo” and “The Landing” set up adequate grooves as the band plays with its usual proficiency, tossing in progressive lines to bolster the jazz/pop/rock/blues at its core. The gospel-ish piano-dominated ballad “Borrowed Time” never lifts off for the heavens, Popper sounds forced trying to rock out like Aerosmith on “The Beacons” and even after repeated spins, little jumps out as fresh, exciting or different.
   
Existing fans may rejoice that Blues Traveler is back with a set that comfortably coexists with its back catalog. But those looking for growth will realize that “North Hollywood Shootout” is desperately in need of the implied titular excitement. 2.5 STARS—Hal Horowitz