Artist: Walter Trout
Title: Broken (Provogue Records)
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Tell me more: Over the past few years a myriad of domestic and international challenges ranging from inflation, economic uncertainty and increasing violent crime at home to raging wars in Europe and the Middle East as well as rising tension between the U.S. and China bring a sobering reality to life in 2024. In Walter Trout's poignant liner notes on his new album Broken the blues great notes despite the darkness of modern life there is still hope. "These days it seems easy to get discouraged. It's easy to feel powerless. It's easy to feel broken," Trout writes, in part. "I still believe that music is a powerful force that can bring people together."
Indeed, there is a life-affirming power across Broken that celebrates the power of the human spirit delivered via dynamic blues rock from one of the genre's greatest-ever proponents. The 12 songs on the Eric Corne-produced album resonate with an energy and urgency that taps into blues and classic rock with an authenticity sure to thrill discerning music lovers. From the heartfelt opener "Broken" featuring guest vocals from Beth Hart and the rootsy "Turn and Walk Away" (the latter featuring Trout's great harmonica work), to the nostalgia-filled "No Magic (On The Street), nuanced instrumental "Love Of My Life" and riveting closer "Falls Apart," the album is rife with highlights. This writer's favorite track is the bewitching "Talkin' To Myself," the song's mesmerizing grace enhanced by Trout's reflective lyrics and strengths as singer, guitarist and electric sitar player.
Robert Kinsler
