Blackberry Smoke – Little Piece Of Dixie
Bama Jam Records
http://www.blackberrysmoke.com/

Rating:  B+

Blackberry Smoke is unabashedly one hundred percent Southern Rock. These five long haired Atlanta based rebels make no bones about waving their freak flag high on their latest album entitled appropriately enough Little Piece Of Dixie.  Led by vocalist / guitarist Charlie Starr, the Turner brothers Richard (bass) and Brit (drums), guitarist Paul Jackson and newest member Brandon Still on keys, Blackberry Smoke has shared the stage with ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd to name just a few. On their kick ass sophomoric effort they enlisted none other than experienced producer / musician Dann Huff to man the knobs, and call me a liar if he hasn’t helped elevate Blackberry Smoke to the next level.

If you’re a fan of bands like The Outlaws, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Blackfoot then you’re going to love what these guys serve up on songs like “Good One Comin’ On”, “Bottom Of This” and “Restless” ‘cause they are carrying the torch for the next generation of Southern rock.  If the rumbling thunder of “Up In Smoke” or the instant sing along anthems “Sanctified Woman” and “Shake Your Magnolia (about a stripper no less) don’t convince you they mean business, then you should probably throw in the towel and start listening to classical music.

Little Piece Of Dixie may have been a long time coming, but man has it been worth the wait ‘cause this album is so much better in every area (the songs, performance, production etc…) than their debut album Bad Luck Ain’t No Crime, and that’s saying a lot because that record was in constant rotation in my CD player for months at a time.

It’s pretty simple really; if you love Southern Rock you need to check out Blackberry Smoke!

   -Ryan Sparks