Release date: Sept. 13, 2005

I remember, back when I was in high school, spending $5 to go see Blues Traveler play on the Rutgers University campus.

They had just started to make a name for themselves in New Jersey, and everyone was just blown away by the harmonica playing of singer John Popper.

Years later, the band hit it big with their album, "Four," and the single, "Run Around."

The band was always a group of talented musicians that played a blues-y rock, in a bategory of their own.

Band member Bob Sheehan passed away a few years back. The band released, "Truth Be Told," in 2003 to little fanfare.

Let's face it - things aren't going well for the band.

Now comes "!Bastardos!" Like "Truth Be Told" before it, the harmonica that defined Blues Traveler in its early years is hard to find on the album.

"You Can't Stop Thinking About Me" is a nice way to kick off the album, but nothing stands out for me on the CD as a whole.

Apparently, when Popper lost all of that weight a while back, he also lost his ability to write a great song.

There are some decent hooks on the album.

"After What" has a pretty catchy chorus, even if the verses are weak. The song even has about 10 seconds of harmonica on it.

Along with the usual upbeat tunes are some slower grooves, such as "Can't Win True Love" and "Leaning In."

"Nail" tries hard to be a powerful rocker, but it falls short in completely grabbing the listener.

The tough fact is that none of these songs stand out to me. Having been a fan of the band for years, they have a large catalog and list of great songs to be compared to, and the tracks on "!Bastardos!" have a tough time measuring up.

Posted by jeffhahnedisabled at August 28, 2005 4:12 PM