Songlines is the fifth studio album by American slide guitarist Derek Trucks and his group the Derek Trucks Band. This is the group's first studio album to feature an expanded sextet.
Reception
In a review for AllMusic, Thom Jurek wrote: "Songlines is the finest moment in the Derek Trucks Band's recording career. It's a fully mature, deeply reckoned studio album that bears repeated listening to reveal all its subtlety and the beauty of its creation."
Ben Ratliff of The New York Times called Trucks' guitar work "a delicious pleasure," and stated that the album "improves on the five that preceded it," noting that "There's more texture, more layers of sound, and the producer, Jay Joyce, has artfully dirtied it up with reverb and mixing techniques."
The Washington Posts Geoffrey Himes described the album as "the best jam-band album of the new decade," and noted that it "has set up the baby-faced kid in the blond ponytail as the movement's most likely leader into the next decade."
Writing for All About Jazz, Doug Collette commented: "This album completely captures the diverse strengths of the group and its leader... Trucks' deceptively unassuming presence becomes the focal point that inspires his band, elevating Songlines to an absolutely stellar level."
In an article for JazzTimes, Bill Milkowski wrote: "A remarkably expressive player, Trucks continues to explore on his instrument outside the confines of his regular touring gig with the Allman Brothers. This adventurous CD is the next step in his ongoing journey."
Reviewer George Graham remarked: "Some jam bands can go on for hours without much interesting music happening. Derek Trucks... has never been one to fall victim to jam-band noodling. His palette is wide, his playing is imaginative and his band still rocks."
Track listing "Volunteered Slavery" (Rahsaan Roland Kirk) – 2:05 "I'll Find My Way" (Trucks, Jay Joyce) – 4:23 "Crow Jane" (Skip James) – 3:53 "Sahib Teri Bandi/Maki Madni" (Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan) – 9:53 "Chevrolet" (Ed Young, Lonnie Young) – 2:24 "Sailing On" (Toots Hibbert) – 3:47 "Revolution" (Jay Joyce) – 3:08 "I'd Rather Be Blind, Crippled and Crazy" (Darryl Carter, Charles Hodges, Don Robey) – 4:33 "All I Do" (Trucks, Mike Mattison, Todd Smallie, Yonrico Scott, Kofi Burbridge) – 6:31 "Mahjoun" (Trucks) – 2:27 "I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel To Be Free)" (Dick Dallas, Billy Taylor) – 4:07 "This Sky" (Trucks, Mike Mattison, Jay Joyce) – 6:31
Personnel Derek Trucks Band Derek Trucks – guitars, dobro Kofi Burbridge – keyboards, flute, vocals Todd Smallie – bass, vocals Yonrico Scott – drums, percussion, vocals Count M'Butu – congas, percussion Mike Mattison – vocals
With: Jay Joyce – additional keyboards Marty Wall – handclaps (11)
Production Yves Beauvais – A&R Jay Joyce – producer, recording, mixing Jason Hall – recording, mix assistant Giles Reaves – recording Jim DeMain – mastering at Yes Master (Nashville, Tennessee) Josh Cheuse – art direction, design Jeff Wood – cover design, cover illustration James Minchin III – photography Yonrico Scott – setlist illustration Wayne Forte – booking Blake Budney – management Crew' Marty Wall – live sound engineer Chris Edwards – tour manager Bobby Bolton – coach operator
References